Authorities arrested a Lancaster, California man in connection to the body of a woman discovered Thursday, ABC7 reported.
Matthew Switalski was arrested after a body was discovered in a car fire at his property early Wednesday morning, according to ABC7. He was taken into custody Thursday night, investigators confirmed to the outlet. He is being held on a $2 million bail, according to jail records, the outlet reported.
Firefighters responded to the scene around 8 a.m. Wednesday, following reports of a burning vehicle on Switalski’s property, ABC7 reported. A “bloodcurdling” woman’s scream could be heard in the early hours, followed by what sounded like an explosion shortly before the onset of the fire, residents in the vicinity told authorities.
#BREAKING Lancaster man arrested in death of woman whose burned body was found in trunk of car after fire at his home https://t.co/DHGjZ13qCV
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 22, 2023
The fire had spread to multiple vehicles and, while trying to put out the fire, firefighters discovered a woman’s body in the trunk of one of the cars, the outlet noted. Initially labeled a person of interest in the investigation, Switalski was later tracked down. By Thursday night, he was been arrested on murder charges. (RELATED: DC Police Investigating Proud Boys Burning Black Lives Matter Banner As A Hate Crime)
While the identity of the deceased woman has not been officially disclosed, local residents claim she was a schoolteacher in the area, according to ABC7.