The murders of a young family in Romeoville last fall have now been laid bare as the product of a twisted web of infidelity, deception, and manipulation. Police say what began as a jealous lover’s scheme ended with seven lives lost—four people, three dogs, and ultimately the couple responsible.

On September 17, 2023, officers discovered the bodies of Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, her partner Alberto Rolon, 38, their two young sons, ages 7 and 9, and the family’s three dogs inside their suburban home.

Detectives revealed that Bartolomei’s coworker and lover, Nathaniel Huey Jr., carried out the murder. This happened after he was manipulated by his fiancée, 50-year-old Ermalinda Palomo. Palomo concocted an elaborate catfishing ruse to convince Huey he was being targeted by a Mexican drug cartel. Using fake numbers and online accounts, she posed as cartel members and fed him a steady stream of threats, convincing him his life was in danger.

Huey believed the lies. At one point, Palomo told him a “mole” was out to get him. Days before the murders, she revealed to him—through her fake persona—that the mole was Bartolomei. That revelation set the plan in motion.

Detectives say the couple researched Bartolomei’s house, studied the neighborhood for cameras, and even noted that a home behind hers was vacant, providing a potential escape route. On the day of the murders, Huey stayed in radio contact with Palomo, who continued to play her fabricated cartel character as they carried out what they referred to as an “operation.”

The outcome was horrific. Rolon, Bartolomei, their children, and their pets were slaughtered inside their home. “Nothing can justify such a senseless act of violence,” Romeoville Police Chief Brant Hromadka said Thursday.

Days later, Huey and Palomo fled Illinois. They were spotted in Oklahoma, where a police chase ended in a fiery crash. Huey died at the scene, and Palomo succumbed to her injuries soon after. For a time, authorities believed Palomo might have been Huey’s hostage. The investigation, however, paints her as the architect of the entire tragedy.

Police also uncovered evidence that Palomo attempted to manipulate Bartolomei and Rolon directly, sending messages and even a letter warning them that Huey was a dangerous gang member. Investigators now see this as another layer of the scheme, though they declined to speculate on her ultimate goal.

Huey and Palomo did this alone. Both are now dead, leaving behind a devastated extended family and a community still reeling.