A suspect in the murders of a Chicago family of four children and their three dogs has been shot to death in a burning car after fleeing police in Oklahoma.
Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, her husband Alberto Rolon and their children Adriel, 10, and Diego, seven, were shot Sunday in their family bungalow in the Chicago suburb of Romeoville.
Nathaniel Huey Jr., a 31-year-old from Streamwood, Illinois, was declared a person of interest, along with a woman “in a relationship” with him.
The woman was reported missing and in danger by her family on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, a car linked to him was seen in Catoosa, about 600 miles away from the crime scene.
Officers said they tried to stop the vehicle, but it sped away. The car crashed and caught fire and two gunshots were heard before police found Huey fatally shot in the driver’s seat and the woman seriously injured.
Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, her husband Alberto Rolon and their children Adriel, 10, and Diego, seven, were shot Sunday in their family bungalow in the Chicago suburb of Romeoville.
The suspect in the murders of the Chicago family of four and their three dogs shot himself dead in a burning car after fleeing police in Oklahoma
Romeoville Deputy Chief Chris Burne revealed that Huey was found dead in a burning car after being identified as a suspect.
A vehicle linked to him was identified in Catoosa using a license plate reader and authorities tried to stop him, but he sped away.
This caused the car to crash and catch fire. “Officers on scene heard two noises believed to be gunshots,” Burne said.
Huey was found dead in the driver’s seat and the woman was seriously injured.
The incident led to the temporary closure of the lanes of westbound Interstate 44, near Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, around 11:30 a.m.
Police determined that the shooting of the family was “not a random incident” and that there is no reason for the public to remain indoors after the fatal shooting.
Romeoville Police Department Deputy Chief Burne said, “Evidence has shown us a link between our suspect and the victims, as well as a possible motive.”
But he declined to reveal further details about the possible motive.
“While Huey has been identified as a suspect, this is still an active and evolving investigation,” a police statement said. “This part of the incident is still ongoing.”
“We were able to determine that this was not a random incident and that there was no need for a shelter-in-place order,” Burne said Tuesday.
“This incident is the police’s top priority.” Officers were called to the family’s home on the 500 block of Concord Avenue for a welfare check.
Their family said they have no idea why anyone would want to kill them, and Zoraida’s devastated sister has made a plea for answers.
One of Zoraida and Alberto did not show up for work on Sunday and did not answer calls from family members of concern.
Police tragically discovered the dead bodies and believe the shooting took place between 9pm on Saturday and 5am on Sunday.
The Will County Major Crimes Task Force is helping investigators gather evidence and review video footage, Burne said.
“All officers and professional staff have worked tirelessly on this case. Our detectives and crime scene investigators have collected a tremendous amount of physical evidence over the past 36 hours.”
Zoraida’s sister Bryana Bartolomei shared a photo of the family, originally from Puerto Rico, on Facebook.
She wrote: “I want to know what happened to my cousins, my sister and her husband, and WHY?
“They were shot dead in their home.”
In the photo, Zoraida and Alberto can be seen beaming with their two sons, one of whom playfully holds a lock of his mother’s hair.
A fundraiser was set up on Monday to help cover funeral costs, with their children described as ‘the sweetest and innocent angels’. So far it has raised almost $30,000.
Friends describe them as “hard-working people who just bought their first house.”
“Their children were the sweetest and innocent angels who could take your worries away,” the fundraiser says.
