On May 27, 2022, 96-year-old Violet Evelyn Alberts was found dead in her longtime Montecito home.
A broken window indicated a home invasion. The cause of death — asphyxiation.
For nearly two years, investigators from Santa Barbara County to Los Angeles have been working to find those responsible
"This case is the finest example of a 'who done it' murder, with absolutely no information up front," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said during a press conference on Thursday.
Sheriff Brown said investigators believe the main suspect, Pauline Macareno, 48, of Porter Ranch gained Albert's trust under the guise of helping her with a reverse mortgage on her home. Instead, Brown said Macareno was gaining access to Albert's property and assets through a real estate fraud scheme.
Macareno was arrested in 2022 and is serving a six-year sentence for fraud charges but Brown said additional charges may be filed.
Several more arrests have been made this year in connection with Alberts’ murder.
"Harry Basmadjian was arrested on January 2, 2024, for his involvement in the conspiracy to murder Violet Alberts. Henry Rostomyan was arrested on February 27 for conspiracy to murder and murder charges, and lastly, Ricardo MartinDelCampo was arrested on March 5, 2024," Brown said.
The sheriff said that just days before Alberts' death, Rostomyan and MartinDelCampo made a scouting trip to her home on May 24, 2022, indicating to investigators that she was the target of a murder-for-hire scheme.
All three men are currently in custody. However, Brown said that while in custody, Basmadjian suffered a medical emergency that left him "essentially brain dead."
The connection between all four suspects is still under investigation.
“Would you say community involvement was essential in this case?” asked KSBY News reporter Juliet Lemar.
“Of course, 100%... In this case especially, when information was released, the public was very, very involved,” said Detective Daniel Kohli.
Sheriff Brown asked anyone who has additional information about this case to contact detectives. To submit a tip, visit sbsheriff.org.
