The murder of an entire family in Romeoville, Ill., was not random, according to police

Police believe that the murder of an entire family in their home in Romeoville, Ill., including their pets, may not be a coincidence and may have a more complex background than a simple shooting attack.

This was stated by the Romeoville Police Department in its latest update on the incident at the 500 block of Concord Ave. According to police, the investigation was able to collect a lot of evidence, and this case has become the priority for investigators.

Chris Burne, deputy chief of police, also added that a public safety order was not required for Romeoville at the time of the incident. The head of the force asked neighbors to provide any information they had, including home security footage that they may believe to be useful.

The deputy chief of police's statements indicate that a personal debt may have been the reason for the terrible attack that ended the lives of an entire family last Sunday night. According to police, officers went to the 500 Block of Concord Avenue, home of Alberto Rolón, 38, and Zoraida Bartolomei, 32 . The couple resided in the home with their two children, aged 7 and 9, and their three pet dogs.

Neighbors did not hear gunshots

The officers came due to concern from Rolón's and Bartolomei's relatives, who claimed to be unable to locate or communicate with them. When police entered the home, they found the bodies of all the family members. According to the police, they died between Saturday night and early Sunday morning. All had gunshot wounds.

Police initially ruled out that the assailant was among the deceased. Therefore, murder-suicide and domestic violence were ruled out.

According to Univision, the family of the deceased opened a page to raise funds for the burial. In this, those close to them assure that “they were hard-working people who had just bought their first house. Their children were the sweetest, most innocent angels who would embrace your worries.”

According to ABC7 Chicago, Rolón worked with an Aurora, Ill., liquor, wine and beer distributor, while Bartolomei worked in quality control for a manufacturing plant in Lombard. They did not own firearms and had some debt after filing for bankruptcy in 2019. Among those debts was a student loan worth $26,000.

According to the media, neighbors describe the family as "close-knit" and "reserved." According to the same sources, the inhabitants of the surroundings of the 500 block of Concord Ave. did not hear gunshots in the time window that police have estimated for the attack.