In Romeoville, Illinois, police discovered the dead bodies of a man, a woman, their children, and their three dogs.
Over the weekend, thirty-eight-year-old Alberto Rolon and his thirty-two-year-old wife, Zoraida Bartolome, were discovered dead from gunshot wounds. Their boys, ages 9 and 7, and their three dogs were also killed.
At a press conference on Monday, Romeoville Deputy Police Chief Chris Burne emphasized that the incident was not a murder-suicide. We are treating it as a murder investigation at this time.
Burne revealed to the media source that the family had moved early this year to the new community 26 miles southwest of Chicago.
On Sunday evening at 8:45, a call was sent to the police to check on the welfare of the occupants. This was requested after one family member failed to show up to work at the usual time (about 6 a.m.) and did not answer any of the several phone calls left for them during the day. When police came, they discovered four family members and two canines with gunshot wounds. They estimate the deaths between Saturday night (about 9 p.m.) and Sunday morning (around 5 a.m.).
Over the last 36 hours, our detectives and crime scene investigators have gathered much evidence. Burne told reporters Tuesday that the incident was not random and that a shelter-in-place order was unnecessary.
Burne said the murder probe is the department’s top priority in Romeoville. He emphasized that the department’s officers and experts have been working around the clock on the investigation. The detectives are receiving help from the Will County Major Task Force, which is collecting evidence and watching surveillance footage.
Community members have been quite helpful in providing data, Burne said.
He said they’re still hoping the public can help with any information, including any video from their Ring doorbells.
Burne said on Monday, after more than 18 hours had passed between the time of the incident and when the authorities were contacted, no suspects have been named by the police.
Lynn Phillips, a family neighbor, spoke up about how devastated she was by the crime and how she has been crying intermittently since the news of the tragedy spread.
She remarked that they seemed like a typical, low-key family.
