Surveillance snares extortionist
SANTA BARBARA — Alfredo Alvarado Murillo was arrested Feb. 15 by Santa Barbara plainclothes detectives on charges of extortion and making criminal threats following a carefully-orchestrated sting operation.
Murillo, 42, had attempted to extort $3,000 from a local couple with the use of handwritten letters left in their residential mailbox. The letters threatened physical violence against their specifically-named grandchild should they fail to accede to his cash demands. After the threatening letter — claiming gang affiliation — was received by the victims, they contacted police who quickly established undercover surveillance of the residence.
Det. Michael Claytor commanded the operation that identified Murillo upon his return to the area. Murillo was observed opening the victims’ mailbox and looking inside, apparently to determine if his first note had been retrieved by his victims.
Apprehended on the scene, Murillo, a former employee of the victims, denied any involvement — until rough drafts of his threatening letter were found in his vehicle. Murillo is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at Santa Barbara County Jail.
