Elderly Woman's Death Unveils Elaborate Murder-for-Hire and Scam Plot

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Detectives in California have uncovered a chilling plot surrounding the death of a 96-year-old woman nearly two years ago, revealing she was the victim of an elaborate murder-for-hire and reverse-mortgage scam aimed at seizing control of her home. The revelation came as authorities announced the arrest of four individuals linked to the case.
Violet Evelyn Alberts was discovered deceased in her Montecito residence on May 27, 2022, by her caretaker, with signs of foul play evident by a shattered window. An autopsy confirmed her cause of death as asphyxiation, ruling it a homicide, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.
Addressing reporters at a news conference, Sheriff Brown described the investigation as unraveling "a tangled, evil web of financial exploitation against the victim."
Brown revealed that the scheme began with Pauline Macareno, 48, who approached Alberts, offering a reverse mortgage for her valuable property. However, Macareno's intentions were far from sincere, as she engaged in a series of fraudulent transactions, including forging documents and establishing bogus entities, all with the aim of wresting control of Alberts' home.
Further investigation unveiled evidence of a murder-for-hire plot targeting Alberts, with Sheriff Brown stating: “In the eyes of Pauline Macareno, Miss Alberts was living too long,” Brown said, adding “the acceleration of her death is presumably what was behind the murder.”
Just days before Alberts' death, two men, Ricardo MartinDelCampo, 41, and Henry Rostomyan, 33, were observed conducting reconnaissance near her home, indicating premeditation in the crime, according to authorities.
Both MartinDelCampo and Rostomyan have been arrested and are currently detained without bail on charges of murder and conspiracy. Another individual, Harry Basmadjian, 58, was apprehended in January for his involvement in the conspiracy while already in federal custody in Los Angeles on unrelated charges.
Macareno, who was previously arrested in connection with the fraud related to Alberts' case and sentenced to six years in state prison, now faces additional charges, as per Sheriff Brown, although specific details were not disclosed.
The breakthrough in the investigation was attributed to the identification of a suspect's vehicle, surveillance footage review, and forensic analysis of the crime scene, with authorities emphasizing that the probe remains ongoing.
Described as a beloved figure in the Montecito community, Alberts was remembered for her warmth and social nature. Sheriff Brown stated that Alberts had plans to celebrate her upcoming birthday by baking fresh cookies before her death. “The ingredients for those cookies were found on the table when, on May 27 of 2022, the Santa Barbara sheriff’s office responded to a distressing call to check on Violet Alberts’ welfare.”
“The victim was in a financially distressful situation where she had essentially aged out of her savings and she basically had a very valuable home that she lived in, but she had run out of money,” Brown said. “This case is certainly an extreme example,” Brown said. “But there are unfortunately oftentimes there’s victimization of elderly victims who are preyed upon by others in a variety of different financial ways.”
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