SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Authorities in Santa Barbara, California, have taken four individuals into custody in connection with the murder of a 96-year-old woman. The arrests were announced by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office at a press conference held on Thursday.
The investigation into the death of Violet Evelyn Alberts, who was discovered deceased in her Montecito home by her caretaker in 2022, spanned 22 months. Officials revealed that evidence pointed towards Alberts being the target of a murder-for-hire scheme.
To gain control of Alberts’ home, the suspects allegedly orchestrated an elaborate reverse mortgage scam. During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Pauline Macareno was involved in a series of fraudulent activities aimed at unlawfully taking possession of Alberts’ assets. Macareno was ultimately sentenced to six years in prison for her fraudulent actions.
One of the arrested individuals, Harry Masmadjian, was taken into custody in January of this year, while Henry Rostomyan was apprehended in February. Ricardo MarinDelCampo was the most recent arrestee, taken into custody last week.
Rostomyan and MartinDelCampo are currently being held without bail at the Santa Barbara County Jail on charges related to the murder and conspiracy to murder Violet Evelyn Alberts. Masmadjian, who was also arrested on similar charges, is facing additional challenges as he suffered a life-threatening medical emergency that has left him incapacitated with a bleak prognosis.
The exhaustive investigation into Alberts’ murder involved 10,424 hours of detective work. Despite the arrests made, the case remains ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with further information to come forward by contacting detectives at 805-681-4150. Anonymous tips can also be provided by calling 805-681-4171.