The family of four massacred in their Illinois home along with their three dogs have been photographed for the first time as police continue to search for the killer.
Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, her husband Alberto Rolon and their children Adriel, 10, and Diego, seven, were shot dead by a mysterious gunman in their family bungalow on Concord Avenue in suburban Chicago on Sunday.
Romeoville police investigators have ruled out a murder-suicide and warned that the killer is still at large.
Her family said they don’t know why someone would want to kill her, and Zoraida’s distraught sister has pleaded for answers.
Bryana Bartolomei shared a photo of the family on Facebook and said: “I want to know what happened to my nephews, my sister and her husband and WHY?”
The family of four massacred in their Illinois home over the weekend has been photographed for the first time as police continue to search for the killer
Romeoville police investigators have ruled out a murder-suicide and warned that the killer is still at large
Zoraida’s mother Lydia, from Puerto Rico, previously told DailyMail.com that they were “so happy” and had bought their Romeoville home just five months ago for $250,000
“They were shot in their home.”
The photo shows Zoraida and Alberto beaming with their two young sons, one of whom playfully holds a strand of his mother’s hair.
A fundraiser to cover funeral costs and raise awareness of her case was launched on Monday, describing her children as “the sweetest and most innocent angels”.
Friends described them as “hard-working people who had just bought their first home.”
“Their children were the sweetest, most innocent angels who could take one’s worries away,” the fundraiser says.
“In just a few hours, her life, the life of her family, has changed completely.” “Without her, the world will be a much bleaker place.”
They asked anyone with information about the shooter to contact police.
Zoraida’s mother Lydia, from Puerto Rico, previously told DailyMail.com that they were “so happy” and had bought their Romeoville home just five months ago for $250,000.
Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, her husband Alberto Rolon and their children Adriel, 10, and Diego, seven, were shot dead by a mysterious gunman in their cozy family bungalow on Concord Avenue in suburban Chicago on Sunday
Romeoville police officers found the murdered family after they were asked to conduct a welfare check because one of the parents didn’t show up for work at 6 a.m. Sunday and no one answered the landline
She last spoke to her daughter shortly before her death on Saturday evening as the family settled down to watch a movie and she couldn’t understand why they were being targeted.
Romeoville police officers found the murdered family after they were asked to conduct a welfare check because one of the parents didn’t show up for work at 6 a.m. Sunday and no one answered the landline.
When officers arrived at 8:40 that evening, they were confronted with a scene of carnage.
The family appears to have moved to America in recent years, possibly from Puerto Rico, where Zoraida’s mother lives.
Zoraida was a licensed beautician while her husband’s age and occupation are unknown.
Romeoville Deputy Police Chief Chris Burne revealed few details at a news conference Monday, citing the “sensitivity of the case and the need to protect the integrity of the investigation.”
However, he was confident that none of the deaths were responsible and that the shooter had left the scene.
A fundraiser to cover funeral costs and raise awareness of her case was launched on Monday, describing her children as “the sweetest and most innocent angels”.
“Due to the time that has passed since we were contacted, more than 18 hours, we are not asking anyone to shelter in place,” he added.
“We are not actively searching for anyone in the area, but we always ask our residents to develop a sense of self-awareness and report anything they find suspicious.”
Police believe the murders occurred in suburban Chicago between 9 p.m. on Saturday, September 16, and 5 a.m. on Sunday.
Crime scene technicians removed several brown and pink bags and part of a window from the three-bedroom house yesterday as the investigation began.
