Family of woman implicated in Romeoville slayings extends ‘extreme condolences’ to victims’ family

Romeoville — After the Romeoville Police Department’s revelation last week that Ermalinda Palomo was a co-conspirator in the killings of Alberto Rolon, Zoraida Bartolomei and their two sons in their Romeoville home in September, Palomo’s family has issued a statement through their attorney, John Paul Ivec.

“The Palomo family wants to extend their extreme condolences to the Rolon-Bartolomei family and loved ones,” according to the family’s statement. “They have been informed of the recent news release from Romeoville. The family had no previous knowledge of the information being disclosed and will continue to work with law enforcement to find the answers to help solve and close the investigation. Their prayers are with everyone, especially going into the holiday season.”

Romeoville police released initial findings of the department’s investigation Dec. 7, which suggested Palomo was aware of her boyfriend Nathaniel Huey Jr.’s intention to kill the family and assisted in planning the killings.

The report further noted that she was the driver of Huey’s vehicle on the night of the killings and that she waited in the car at the family’s home in the 500 block of Concord Avenue while he exited the vehicle from the passenger side and went into the house.

Huey and Palomo reportedly drove back to Huey’s home in Shorewood before fleeing the state.

The four members of the Rolon-Bartolomei family along with their three dogs were discovered shot dead the morning of Sept. 17, and Huey was quickly identified as a suspect.

At the time of crime, the Palomo family reported Ermalinda missing and said they believed Huey had abducted her. Although Palomo was named a “person of interest” in the case, the family and Ivec said she “had nothing to do with the murders.”

Both Huey and Palomo were pronounced dead near Tulsa, Oklahoma, after their vehicle was identified by police and pursued three days after the killings. Ivec revealed at the time that Palomo had been “shot in the head.”

The deaths are suspected to be a murder-suicide, although the official cause of death has yet to be released by the medical examiner’s office, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations.

Although the Romeoville police said they’ve learned that Huey and Bartolomei were having an affair, and that their partners were aware of the situation, the department did not release more specific information about the relationship, a potential motive for the killings or details of the “planning” of the crime.

A spokesperson for the department said that since the investigation is ongoing, no further information could be released at this time.