Romeoville Family Slaying: Police Reveal Shocking New Details

ROMEOVILLE, IL — A year after a Romeoville family of four and their three dogs were slain in their home, Romeoville Police have released case reports and documents that shed new light into the motive for the crime — and who was responsible for planning it.

Alberto Rolon, 38; Zoraida Bartolomei, 32; and their two young children, ages 10 and 7, were shot and killed in their Romeoville home in September 2023. The family had just purchased their home on Concord Avenue in the village's Hampton Park subdivision five months before they were slain.

Last year, police said they believed the suspect in the killings, Nathaniel Huey Jr., had planned the murders with his girlfriend, Ermalinda Palomo, 50.

New information released last week details how police say Palomo masterminded the killings, and fooled Huey into thinking the slayings were ordered by a criminal organization by impersonating members of the group.

In September 2023, Huey, 31, of Streamwood, was quickly identified as the suspect in the case, and police said Palomo was a person of interest. Days after the killings, Huey and Palomo were found in Catoosa, Oklahoma, after a digital license plate reader got an alert for the suspect vehicle.

Officers attempted a traffic stop, but Huey and Palomo sped away, and a pursuit began. Oklahoma Police said the car continued on Interstate 44 in Catoosa, and their vehicle struck a concrete barrier and came to a stop.

Officers then heard two noises, believed to be gunshots, and found a woman with a gunshot wound, now identified as Palomo, who was taken to a hospital in critical condition. A man in the driver's seat, now identified as Huey, was found dead with a gunshot wound. Palomo died a day later at the hospital.

Last December, Romeoville Police released an update on the case, saying that Huey and victim Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, were involved in a relationship. This relationship was known both to Bartolomei's husband, Rolon, and Huey's girlfriend, Palomo, police said at the time.

Cops: Palomo used online personas

In recently released reports, police say Palomo was "insecure in the relationship" with Huey and knew he was involved with other women. In December 2021, nearly two years before the quadruple murders in Romeoville, Palomo created multiple online personas she used to communicate with Nathaniel.

Her messages were intended to convince Huey that he was part of a Mexican and Bulgarian criminal organization. According to police, Palomo took on the persona of several different characters, generating different phone numbers for each character to fool Huey.

The characters would frequently reference her relationship with Huey, and she would encourage Huey to be faithful to her.

Palomo also sent many text messages to Zoraida and Alberto, and threatened their children on multiple occasions, according to reports.

According to police reports, Huey was eventually convinced that he was under constant surveillance and that the leaders of the criminal organization questioned his loyalty. Police do not believe that Huey knew that Palomo was really behind the various "characters."

Throughout the messages, Palomo referenced a "mole" who was planning to attack Huey. On Sept. 14, 2023, she told him that the "mole" was Zoraida Bartolomei, according to the reports.

Huey and Palomo, who in the guise of one of her characters, began to plan Bartolomei's murder, including researching the home she lived in, according to the report. They also discuss how Huey would wear new, never-worn clothing, avoid touching any bullets and leave his phone at his own home.

On Sept. 16, 2023, Palomo, again playing as one of her characters, sent text messages to Huey giving him detailed instructions to murder "anyone and everyone" in the Romeoville home, according to the report. Huey entered the home at 3:40 a.m. on Sept. 17 and carried out the killings, police said.

The case report concludes that Huey and Palomo "are solely responsible for the murders" and declares "case closed."