Violet Evelyn Alberts, 96, was found smothered in her Montecito mansion on May 27, 2022 in what cops said is a murder-for-hire plot to steal her pricey home

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies began investigating her death when they discovered a broken window inside her Montecito home

The Medical Examiner determined she died by asphyxiation and was smothered to death in her sleep 

Police believe Pauline Macareno, 48, of Los Angeles who had sold a reverse mortgage to Albert is the mastermind of a murder-for-hire plot with the aim of acquiring the victim’s property

Having fraudulently gained control of Alberts’ finances, ‘Macareno taking things into her own hands to “accelerate” her death”‘, cops said

Her alleged co-conspirators Harry Basmadjian, 58, Henry Rostomyan, 33, and Ricardo Martin DelCampo, 41 – were also charged in connection to the murder 

96-year-old Violet Evelyn Alberts [photo] was found dead in her bed at home in Montecito, Calif., on May 27, 2022 – Four people have been arrested in a murder-for-hire plot to kill her and gain control of her estate because she was ‘living too long.’ 

A California woman and three male accomplices have been arrested in a murder-for-hire plot to kill an elderly woman and gain control of her sprawling California home because she was ‘living too long.’ 
A caretaker found Violet Evelyn Alberts, 96, dead in her bed at her $5million mansion on May 27, 2022. Alberts had been making cookies for her birthday moments before she died. The Medical Examiner determined she died by asphyxiation and was smothered to death in her sleep.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies began investigating her death when they discovered a broken window inside her Montecito home. Montecito, a lavish enclave outside of Santa Barbara, is home to a number of wealthy, famous people.
Authorities said Thursday, that the elderly homeowner died in a murder-for-hire plot.
Police also believe that Pauline Macareno, 48, of Porter Ranch. who had previously tried to con Alberts out of her home, was the mastermind behind the scheme.
Having sold a reverse mortgage to the elderly home owner who was in financial distress, subsequently Macareno fraudulently gained control of Alberts estate.
The prime suspect who was arrested in June 2022, faced 18 felony charges including forgery and theft from an elder, and was sentenced to six years in state prison, police said. Further charges related to the murder of Alberts murder are pending.
Her alleged co-conspirators Harry Basmadjian, 58, Henry Rostomyan, 33 and Ricardo Martin DelCampo, 41, were also charged last week in connection to the murder.

Investigators have said Alberts’ murder was a murder-for-hire scheme orchestrated by Pauline Lisa Macareno, [photo], who had previously tried to fraudulently gain control of Alberts’ home – ‘In the eyes of Pauline Macareno, Miss Alberts was living too long,’ – Sheriff Bill Brown

‘In the eyes of Pauline Macareno, Miss Alberts was living too long,’ said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. ‘The acceleration of her death is presumably what was behind the murder.’ 
Immediately after her death two years ago, detectives found little to no leads – but soon after, investigators started tracing a ‘tangled web of financial exploitation.’ 
This led detectives to Macareno and three men. 
During the investigation, they discovered Martin DelCampo and Rostomyan had conducted a scouting trip to Alberts home on May 24, 2022.
‘This pivotal discovery shed light on the premeditated nature of the crime, underscoring the perpetrators’ calculated efforts to survey Alberts’ home and plan their vicious and reprehensible actions,’ Brown said.
‘In the eyes of Pauline Macareno, Miss Alberts was living too long,’ said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. ‘The acceleration of her death is presumably what was behind the murder.’ 
Immediately after the death of Alberts in 2022, detectives initially found no leads. However, soon after, investigators started tracing a ‘tangled web of financial exploitation.’ 
This led detectives to Macareno and three male co-conspirators. 
“In 2020, Macareno capitalized on Alberts’ vulnerability, engaging in financial elder abuse that ultimately led to the fraudulent acquisition of her property.”
After gaining control of Alberts’ finances, Brown accused Macareno of growing tired of waiting for the 96-year-old to pass, which led to Macareno taking things into her own hands to “accelerate” her death.
Investigators allege Macareno led a “murder-for-hire scheme,” which resulted in at least two men breaking into Alberts’ home and ending her life. Brown also said there was evidence that the 96-year-old’s property was being surveyed in the days leading up to the killing, calling it proof of the “premeditated nature” of the crime.

In 2020 Pauline Macareno reportedly, gained control of Alberts, assets, including her $5 million home [photo], by selling the elderly woman a reverse mortgage. Impatience led to the murder plot. Macareno was convicted in 2022 for financial abuse of an elder

During the investigation, they discovered Martin DelCampo and Rostomyan had conducted a scouting trip to Alberts home on May 24, 2022.
‘This pivotal discovery shed light on the premeditated nature of the crime, underscoring the perpetrators’ calculated efforts to survey Alberts’ home and plan their vicious and reprehensible actions,’ Brown said.
In June, the sheriff’s office released photos of a white Porsche Cayenne they believed to connected to Alberts murder.
Police said they believed the driver had traveled from Los Angeles to Montecito on the night of the murder and the vehicle was seen entering and leaving Alberts property.
Murder mastermind Macareno is currently in prison on a separate charge.
Basmadjian was arrested on January 2, Rostomyan was arrested on February 27 while Martin DelCampo was arrested on March 5, 2024. 
Brown said in 2020 Macareno had tried to gain control of Alberts assets by committing financial elder abuse.
Macareno was ‘referred’ to Alberts, who needed additional money after she ‘aged out’ of her savings, according to the sheriff. 
‘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 otherwise,’ said Brown.

Macareno’s accomplices Henry Rostomyan [left], and Ricardo Martin DelCampo [right], were also charged in connection to the murder. Both are being held at the Santa Barbara County Jail without bail on charges of murder and conspiracy to murder. Harry Basmadjian was arrested for similar charges while being held in federal custody on an unrelated charge.

‘She needed some additional money and she was approached by Pauline Macareno with the scheme to sell her a reverse-mortgage.’
Macareno is currently serving a six year sentence in state prison for fraud charges related to Alberts’ case.
‘She needed some additional money and she was approached by Pauline Macareno with the scheme to sell her a reverse-mortgage.’
Macareno is currently serving a six year sentence in state prison for fraud charges related to Alberts’ case.
She was convicted for using a real estate scheme to convince Alberts to transfer the title of her home to herself.
The sheriff said Alberts was making cookies for her birthday before she died and the ingredients for those cookies were found in the table when police arrived.
Brown said Alberts was a ‘vibrant 96-year-old widow’ and a ‘cherished figure’ in the community.
‘Violet relied on her friendships and connections within the neighborhood, through which she achieved a sense of belonging with a tight knit community,’ Brown said.
‘Despite facing challenges with her memory and cognition, Violet’s spirit remained undaunted.’ 

In June 2023, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released stills from surveillance footage that showed a white Porsche Cayenne coming and departing from Alberts’ home the night she was killed

Sheriff Brown said police believed the driver had traveled from Los Angeles to Montecito on the night of the murder and the vehicle was seen entering and leaving Alberts property. Detectives believe Rostomyan and DelCampo are the men seen in that car

‘Her love for her home, complete with a pond filled with cherished koi fish that she brought from Beverly Hills, reflected her appreciation for life’s simpler pleasures,’ he said. 
Rostomyan and MartinDelCampo are currently being held at the Santa Barbara County Jail without bail on charges of murder and conspiracy to murder.
Basmadjian was arrested for similar charges while being held in federal custody on an unrelated charge. 
He has subsequently suffered a life-threatening medical emergency that left him totally incapacitated.