Widow, 96, killed in murder-for-hire plot for 'taking too long to die'

09 March 2024 , 17:35

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Pauline Macareno, 48, became the key figure in the death of Violet Alberts (Image: Santa Barbara County Sheriff)

A pensioner killed while baking cookies was the target of a murder-for-hire plot after the suspects in her death grew angry she was taking too long to die on her own, police said.

Violet Alberts was found dead in her bed at her home in Montecito, California on May 27, 2022. New details of her death were announced by Santa Barbara County Sheriff Paul Brown during a press conference on Thursday.

Alberts' caretaker found her body, noting the "vibrant" member of the community had ingredients laid out on her kitchen table to make cookies for her upcoming birthday. The police found a broken window in her bedroom, which led them to carry out a thorough investigation of the house.

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An autopsy showed that Albert's death was due to asphyxiation - when the body doesn't get enough oxygen. It was ruled a homicide according to Brown, who referred to the coroner's report.

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Investigators found she was the victim of "a tangled, evil web of financial exploitation." Pauline Macareno, 48, became the key figure in "the manipulation and deceitful targeting" of the "cherished" community member, reports the New York Post.

Widow, 96, killed in murder-for-hire plot for 'taking too long to die'

Violet Alberts was found dead in her bed in her Montecito, Calif. home on May 27, 2022 (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

"Through deceptive means, Macareno orchestrated a series of transactions, including forging documents and establishing fraudulent entities to gain control over Alberts' assets unlawfully," Brown explained.

Macareno allegedly fooled the elderly woman when she offered her a misleading reverse mortgage in 2020, but "ultimately led to the fraudulent acquisition of her property," investigators found. Alberts' two-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom home is estimated to be just under $6 million.

The getaway vehicles allegedly used by the suspects (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

The widow's home was located in a wealthy Santa Barbara neighbourhood, known for its famous residents, including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markel, according to KTLA.

However, it is alleged that the fraudster grew tired of waiting for Alberts to die to inherit her estate and masterminded a plot to kill the widow. Police believe she enlisted the help of three men, Harry Basmadjian, Henry Rostomyan, and Ricardo MartinDelCampo, to pull off her murder-for-hire plot.

Pauline Macareno, 48, became the key figure in "the manipulation and deceitful targeting" of the "cherished" community member (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

Investigators discovered MartinDelCampo and Rostomyan took a "scouting trip" three days before Alberts was murdered. "This pivotal discovery shed light on the premeditated nature of this crime, underscoring the perpetrators' calculated efforts to survey Alberts' home and to plan their vicious and reprehensible actions," police said.

Henry Rostomyan (pictured) and Ricardo MartinDelCampo arrested in February and March respectively, are currently being held in the Santa Barbara County Jail without bail on charges of murder and conspiracy of murder. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

Officials released photos of a Porsche Cayenne in June 2023 that was believed to be the getaway vehicle in Alberts' murder. Police spent months piecing together the "sequence" of events before the three men were arrested.

Investigators discovered MartinDelCampo (pictured) and Rostomyan took a "scouting trip" three days before Alberts was murdered. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

Rostomyan and MartinDelCampo, arrested in February and March respectively, are currently being held in the Santa Barbara County Jail without bail on charges of murder and conspiracy of murder.

Basmadjian was taken into custody in January for conspiracy to murder charges. But while being held on separate charges in Los Angeles, he suffered a "life-threatening medical emergency" and is now "essentially brain dead," shared Brown.

In June 2022, elder abuse led to Macareno's arrest, resulting in a six-year prison sentence for exploiting "Alberts' vulnerability" by defrauding her. Furthermore, since the uncovering of the plot to murder-for-hire, she faces extra charges, noted Brown.