The suspect in the killing of a Chicago family-of-four and their three dogs has been shot dead in a burning car after fleeing from police in Oklahoma.
Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, her husband Alberto Rolon and their children Adriel, 10, and Diego, seven, were shot in their family bungalow in Romeoville, a suburb of Chicago on Sunday.
Nathaniel Huey Jr, a 31-year-old from Streamwood, Illinois, was named a ‘person of interest’ along with a woman ‘with a relationship’ to him.
The woman was reported missing and in danger by her family on Tuesday night and a car linked to him was spotted in Catoosa, around 650 miles away from the crime scene, on Wednesday.
Officers said they tried to stop the vehicle but it sped away. The car crashed and caught on fire and two gunshots were heard before police found Huey fatally shot in the driver’s seat and the woman critically injured.
Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, her husband Alberto Rolon and their children Adriel, 10, and Diego, seven, were shot in their family bungalow in Romeoville, a suburb of Chicago on Sunday
The suspect in the killing of the Chicago family-of-four and their three dogs has shot himself dead in a burning car after fleeing from police in Oklahoma
Romeoville Deputy Chief Chris Burne revealed Huey was found dead in a burning car after he was 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.
It led to the car crashing and catching on fire. ‘Officers on scene heard two noises believed to be gun shots,’ Burne said.
Huey was found dead in the driver’s seat and the woman was critically wounded.
The incident led to the lanes of westbound Interstate 44, near Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, to be temporarily shut down at around 11.30am.
Police determined the shooting of the family was ‘not a random incident’ and there is no reason for the public to stay indoors following the fatal shooting.
Romeoville Police Department Deputy Chief Burne said: ‘Evidence has shown us a nexus between our suspect and the victims as well as possible motive.’
But he refused to reveal further details on the possible motive.
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‘Although Huey is identified as a suspect, this is still an active and evolving investigation,’ a police statement said. ‘This portion of the incident is still unfolding.’
‘We were able to determine this was not a random incident and there was no cause for a shelter in place order,’ Burne said on Tuesday.
‘This incident is the police department’s top priority.’ Officers were called to the family’s property 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 issued a plea for answers.
One of the parents did not show up to work on Sunday and did not answer calls from relatives which caused concern.
Police tragically discovered the dead bodies and believe the shooting occurred between 9pm on Saturday and 5am on Sunday.
The Will County Major Crimes Task Force is helping investigators collect evidence and review video, Burne said.
‘All officers and professional staff have been working tirelessly on this case. Our detectives and crime scene investigators have spent the last 36 hours collecting a tremendous amount of physical evidence.’
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 nephews, my sister, her husband, and WHY?
‘They were shot and killed in their home.’
The picture shows Zoraida and Alberto beaming with their two sons, one playfully holding a strand of his mother’s hair.
A fundraiser created to cover funeral expenses was created on Monday, describing their children as ‘the sweetest most innocent angels’. It has so far raised almost $30,000.
Friends described them as ‘hardworking people that had just bought their first home’.
‘Their kids were the sweetest most innocent angels who could hug your worries away,’ the fundraiser says.
