On September 17, 2023, a tragic and horrific incident unfolded in Romeoville, Illinois, resulting in the deaths of Zoraida Bartolomei, Alberto Rolon, and their two young sons, Adriel and Diego. Diego Rolon-Bartolomei, aged 7, was one of the victims found dead in their home.
The events leading to the murders were orchestrated by Ermalinda Palomo, the fiancée of Nathaniel Huey Jr. Palomo had been manipulating Huey Jr. into believing that Zoraida Bartolomei was a "mole" targeting him, supposedly working for a drug cartel. This deception involved Palomo creating fake personas and communicating with Huey Jr. through these accounts, planning the murder and instructing him on how to carry it out. The motive behind these actions was rooted in Palomo's discovery of Huey Jr.'s romantic affair with Zoraida Bartolomei.
On the night of the murders, Palomo drove Huey Jr. to the Bartolomei-Rolon residence in Romeoville. Huey Jr. entered the home around 3 a.m. on September 16, 2023, by cutting screens to simulate a break-in and then entering through an unlocked door. He shot Alberto Rolon multiple times as Rolon attempted to protect his family. Huey Jr. then proceeded to the bedroom where Zoraida Bartolomei and their two children, Adriel and Diego, were located. He fired shots through the door, striking Bartolomei multiple times, and then entered the room to shoot the children, resulting in their deaths. The scene was further manipulated with spray paint to make it appear as if the crime was committed by children.
The bodies of Zoraida Bartolomei, Alberto Rolon, Adriel, and Diego, along with three dead dogs, were discovered by Romeoville police during a wellness check on September 17, 2023. The family members had been shot a combined total of 20 times.
Following the murders, Huey Jr. and Palomo fled the area, leading to a pursuit by law enforcement. On September 20, 2023, their vehicle was spotted in Catoosa, Oklahoma, over 600 miles from the crime scene. During an attempted traffic stop, the vehicle crashed and caught fire. Huey Jr. was found dead at the scene, and Palomo died shortly after from gunshot wounds, believed to have been inflicted by Huey Jr. before he turned the gun on himself. The investigation concluded that Palomo and Huey Jr. were the sole perpetrators of the crime, with no evidence of additional suspects involved.
