A 31-year-old man believed to be responsible for the deaths of a family in suburban Chicago, died from a gunshot wound after his vehicle crashed during a police chase on Wednesday, September 20.
The incident occurred in Catoosa, Oklahoma, some 650 miles from the site of the murders.
Following a car chase, the pursuit ended when officers found Nathaniel Huey, Jr. and an unnamed woman with gunshot wounds inside the vehicle. While Huey’s injuries were fatal, the woman was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition, according to the Romeoville, Illinois, Police Department. The pair had been named persons of interest after the Romeoville police discovered the bodies of Alberto Rolon, 38, Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, and their two children, Adriel, 10, and Diego, 7.
The victims, along with their three pets, were found shot in their home. In a press conference, Romeoville Deputy Chief Chris Burne mentioned that the incident was not random. While specific details about the motive remain undisclosed, there was considerable physical evidence at the scene.
Concern grew when one of the family members did not show up for work on Sunday at 6 am and was unresponsive to messages. This prompted a welfare check that night. Once the police identified Huey and the unnamed woman, a statewide bulletin was issued with their descriptions and details about the vehicle. The woman with Huey was reported missing by her family on Tuesday morning.
The events culminated on Wednesday when Catoosa police recognized Huey’s license plate and attempted a traffic stop. Huey tried to escape, leading to the car crash. Romeoville police mentioned that officers at the scene heard sounds that could have been gunshots, though it remains uncertain who fired the shots. Currently, no other suspects are believed to be involved in the case.
The slain family had recently moved into their Romeoville home in April. Both children were enrolled at RC Hill Elementary School.
A GoFundMe page created for the family described them as hardworking people who had just acquired their first home.