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Accident – Death – Obituary News :
Authorities in Santa Barbara County, California, have made multiple arrests in connection with the murder of a 96-year-old woman in a shocking and tragic incident that has left the community reeling. The victim, Violet Evelyn Alberts, was found dead in her bed on May 27, 2022, in Montecito, California.
Details of the Crime
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office announced that Pauline Macareno, Harry Basmadjian, Henry Rostomyan, and Ricardo MartinDelCampo have been arrested in connection with Alberts’ murder. An autopsy revealed that Alberts died from asphyxiation, and her death was ruled a homicide by Sheriff Bill Brown.
According to reports, the murder was part of a heinous murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Macareno, who posed as a real estate agent to gain access to Alberts’ house and money. When the scheme was in motion, Macareno realized that Alberts “was living too long,” prompting her to contact Basmadjian, Rostomyan, and MartinDelCampo to carry out the murder.
Arrests and Sentences
Rostomyan and MartinDelCampo were arrested in connection with the murder-for-hire plot, while Basmadjian suffered a medical emergency in federal custody, leaving him “incapacitated” before he could be apprehended. Macareno was taken into custody in June 2022 on suspicion of elder abuse and fraud and was sentenced to six years in state prison for her involvement in the fraud related to Alberts’ case.
Authorities praised the collaborative efforts of multiple agencies, including the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Glendale Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service, in solving the case. Sheriff Brown commended the dedicated work of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office detectives for pursuing truth and accountability in Alberts’ murder.
The community is left grappling with the shocking and tragic loss of a beloved member, as justice slowly unfolds in the wake of this devastating crime.
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