Detectives from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office are asking for assistance from Los Angeles area residents after discovering new information in a 2022 Montecito home invasion murder case.
Violet Evelyn Alberts, 96, was killed by asphyxiation during a home invasion in her Montecito home on May 27, 2022, leading investigators to ask for the public’s assistance in what has been described as a targeted attack.
Following a June 5 press release in which the department shared images of the suspect’s vehicle, detectives have since learned the vehicle used was a 2015-2018 white Porsche Cayenne, which traveled to Montecito from the Los Angeles area. Detectives have released new images of the suspect’s vehicle and are asking residents in Los Angeles and surrounding cities for more information.
“Residents in the Los Angeles area that may have loaned or rented their 2015-2018 white Porsche Cayenne in May 2022 are encouraged to reach out to detectives,” the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. “Detectives are also encouraging Montecito residents to continue to check for any surveillance footage from May 2022 for this vehicle.”
Prior to her murder, Alberts was the victim of real estate fraud involving a Porter Ranch real estate speculator named Pauline Macareno, Nick Welsh of the Santa Barbara Independent reported in September 2022.
The fraud scheme came to the attention of local prosecutors in March of 2022, roughly two months before Alberts was murdered, Welsh reported. Macareno has been in custody since Aug. 9, 2022, facing charges of elder abuse, real estate fraud, identity theft and embezzlement, among other things.
Detectives are still attempting to identify the suspect responsible for the murder and are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
The Sheriff’s Office asks those with information to contact Criminal Investigations Bureau at (805) 681-4150. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can contact the Sheriff’s Office anonymous tipline at (805) 681-4171 or email tips@sbsheriff.org.
