Two persons of interest in the murders of an Illinois family of four were found shot inside a vehicle after a chase and crash in Oklahoma, one of them fatally.
Alberto Rolon and Zoraida Bartolomei, both in their 30s, and their two children, 10-year-old Adriel and 7-year-old Diego, were found shot to death in their home in Romeoville on Sunday, as CrimeOnline reported. The family’s three dogs were also shot to death. Investigators found the bodies after conducting a welfare check when Rolon missed work and could not be reached by phone.
“It is not a murder-suicide,” Deputy Chief Chris Burne said Monday. “Right now, we are investigating it as a murder.”
Police identified Nathaniel Huey Jr, 31, as a person of interest, along with an unnamed woman, later identified as Ermalinda Palomo, said to be in a relationship with him, WMAQ reported. On Wednesday morning, a license plate reader spotted a vehicle connected with the pair in Catoosa, Oklahoma — nearly 650 miles away — Burne said Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities there tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver “immediately attempted to elude the officers, resulting in a single-car crash” on Interstate 44, he said.
The vehicle caught fire, and police reported hearing sounds they believed were gunshots before finding Huey dead from a gunshot wound in the driver’s seat and the woman critically wounded from a gunshot in the passenger seat. She was taken to a hospital and later died.
“This is still an active and evolving investigation and this portion of the incident is still unfolding,” Burne said.
Burne said that evidence “has shown us a nexus between our suspect and the victims, as well as a possible motive,” but he declined to provide specifics.
According to WLS, Huey owned a security company and had extensive firearms training. Neighbors said that Huey and Palomo had been in a relationship for about 6 years. Her family reported her missing on Sunday when her phone was shut off after a series of concerning texts, an attorney representing them said.
“And, they thought that she sounded scared. But, they don’t have any direct information other than, ‘Take care of my grand babies,'” said attorney John Paul Ivec.
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[Featured image: Zoraida Bartolomei, husband Alberto Rolon, and their children Adriel and Diego/handouts]
