Authorities in Santa Barbara County have released new images of a vehicle wanted in connection with a 96-year-old woman’s brutal home invasion murder last year.
Violet Evelyn Alberts was found dead in Montecito on May 27, 2022. Local outlets reported that the elderly woman was smothered to death in her own home, with her one-time lawyer saying she struggled and put up a fight.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has provided limited details about the ongoing investigation but has said that a motive has been determined and the attack was not random.
In a news release issued earlier this month, the Sheriff’s Office said Alberts had been the victim of fraud which was actively being investigated by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. The alleged fraudster, who is identified as Pauline Macareno by the Santa Barbara Independent, has been in custody since August 2022, but detectives are still searching for the alleged killer.
Macareno, 47, is listed in jail records as a real estate developer. According to the Independent, Macareno was based in Porter Ranch and is accused of using a real estate scheme to convince the 96-year-old to transfer the title of her home to Macareno.
Macareno is awaiting trial for elder fraud, but she has not been charged with any alleged involvement in Alberts’ murder.
But in a recent court appearance, new information came to light that revealed that Alberts had allegedly been outspending her means and received a $250,000 loan from Macareno in exchange for the right to purchase the woman’s home for less than half of its estimated worth.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office releases images of a Porsche Cayenne believed to be connected with a woman’s murder in May 2022. 
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office releases images of a Porsche Cayenne believed to be connected with a woman’s murder in May 2022. 
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office releases images of a Porsche Cayenne believed to be connected with a woman’s murder in May 2022. 
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office releases images of a Porsche Cayenne believed to be connected with a woman’s murder in May 2022.
Macareno’s attorney told the Independent that his client had no role in Alberts’ death, and insisted there were several people who he believed were more logical and likely suspects.
Regardless of the ongoing legal spat over Alberts’ property, sheriff’s officials are still looking for the person directly responsible for the elderly woman’s death.
On Thursday, new photos from closed-circuit video footage showed a white Porsche Cayenne, a vehicle that is believed to be directly connected with Alberts’ slaying. The vehicle is believed to be between the 2015 and 2018 model line and investigators believe the driver traveled from Los Angeles to Montecito on the night of the murder.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for Alberts’ death.
Los Angeles residents are urged to contact law enforcement if they’ve seen a vehicle that matches the description, or if they may have temporarily loaned out a similar vehicle in May 2022.
Residents in Montecito, the wealthy exclusive enclave that is home to both Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are asked to check their security cameras around the night of the murder for anything that might lead investigators in the direction of an arrest.
In the meantime, Macareno remains in custody at the Santa Barbara County Southern Branch Jail in Santa Barbara without bail, according to jail records.
