Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office holds press conference for 2022 Montecito homicide case of Violet Evelyn Alberts
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office held a press conference on Thursday morning with updates on the 2022 Montecito homicide case of Violet Evelyn Alberts.
The agency's investigation into this homicide case began with Alberts' suspicious death at her home in the 900 block of Park Lane on May 27, 2022 – the day she would have turned 97 years old.
Alberts' caretaker called 9-1-1 when he found her dead in her $6 million Montecito home.
This was a case of murder and financial elder abuse that took close to two years to get even a partial resolution.
Friends describe Violet Evelyn Alberts as a feisty, vibrant, and caring woman.
At 96-years-old, she took great pleasure in tending to her koi pond and fruit trees and decorating her Montecito home with Japanese art.
“You know, I wish I would have had the opportunity to know her when she was alive… The people that I spoke with spoke very highly of her… She was loving. But she would tell you when you were stepping out of line, she was not afraid to express her opinions,” said Sgt. Daniel Kohli from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.
A shattered window and a suspicious reverse mortgage operation raised immediate red flags.
An autopsy revealed she died by asphyxiation, leading detectives to rule this a homicide.
“The case was revealed to be a tangled, evil web of financial exploitation against the victim. Pauline Macareno emerged as a central figure in the manipulation and deceitful targeting of 96-year-old Violet Albert,” said Bill Brown from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
In 2020, Pauline Macareno capitalized on Alberts' vulnerability.
She orchestrated a series of transactions, including forging documents and establishing fraudulent entities to gain control over Alberts’ assets.
Detectives now say Macareno arranged for alberts to be killed, likely a plot to gain control of her home.
They obtained evidence of a scouting trip conducted by two suspects, Ricardo Martin Del Campo and Henry Rostomyan, just two days before she was killed.
“This pivotal discovery shed light on the premeditated nature of this crime, underscoring the perpetrators calculated efforts to survey Albert's home and to plan their vicious and reprehensible actions,” said Sheriff Brown.
A third suspect, Harry Basmadjian, is also accused of killing Alberts.
The first sign of a breakthrough came in June 2023, when authorities released images of a car tied to the killing.
Detectives said the Montecito community was instrumental in solving this case.
“They gave us access to their security footage. They provided us with anything that we asked for, whether it was at the initial stage or further on in the investigation. Most people knew that Evelyn didn't have a close family in the area. she had her close friends that continued to provide us that support,” said Sgt. Kohli.
As of now, the three men face murder and or conspiracy to commit murder charges.
Macareno is already serving a six year sentence for financial fraud charges.
She is now also charged with soliciting the murder
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department is still calling on community support for any additional information that could help them discover additional evidence or suspects.
For past coverage on this case, click here.
