On September 17, 2023, Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, her husband Alberto Rolon, 38, and their two young children, ages 7 and 9 (or 10 and 7, as reported in different sources), along with their three dogs, were found murdered in their home on the 500 block of Concord Avenue in Romeoville, Illinois. The discovery was made after police were called for a wellness check when Rolon did not show up to work and Bartolomei's family could not reach her or the children.
The investigation revealed that the murders were carried out by Nathaniel Huey Jr., who had a prior relationship with Zoraida Bartolomei. This relationship was known to both Bartolomei’s husband, Alberto Rolon, and Huey Jr.’s girlfriend, Ermalinda Palomo.
According to police documents, Huey Jr. was deceived into believing that Bartolomei was a "mole" targeting him, based on messages sent from a fake phone number allegedly by Palomo. Believing he was working for a hit man in the cartel, Huey Jr. planned and executed the murders with Palomo's involvement. Palomo drove the vehicle to the crime scene, and digital evidence showed the vehicle traveled from their home in Streamwood, Illinois, to the Bartolomei's home in Romeoville and back to Streamwood at the time of the murders. Huey Jr. exited and re-entered the vehicle from the passenger side while Palomo was the driver.
The police found that the scene was staged to appear like a burglary, with Huey Jr. cutting two screens and entering through an unlocked door. Inside the home, the police discovered the horrific scene where the family members and their dogs were shot a combined 20 times.
Huey Jr. and Palomo were later involved in a police pursuit in Catoosa, Oklahoma, approximately 600 miles from the crime scene. During this pursuit, they were shot, and Huey Jr. was found dead in the driver's seat of an SUV, while Palomo died later at a hospital.
The investigation has confirmed that there is no evidence of additional suspects in this incident, and Palomo's role in the planning and execution of the murders has been established. Despite an attorney for Palomo's family initially claiming she was kidnapped and had no involvement, police evidence contradicts this, showing her active participation in the crime.
