Zoraida Bartolomei GoFundMe: Fundraiser raises $3,535 as Romeoville police identify family killed inside home

Zoraida Bartolomei was found dead beside her husband, Alberto Rolon, their two kids, and three dogs on Sunday, September 17, 2023. They were found inside a residence in Romeoville on the 500 block of Concord Avenue, Illinois.

In a press conference on Monday, Romeoville police identified the adult victims as husband and wife, Alberto Rolon and Zoraida Bartolomei. The two children were identified as Adriel, 10, and Diego, 7.

Zoraida Bartolomei's family(Image via Hot News X)

As police continued to search for the assailant, neighbors were astounded by the murder of the family, described as hard-working but quiet people who kept to themselves. Meanwhile, family members told DailyMail that they don’t know anyone who would want to kill Zoraida Bartolomei and Alberto Rolon.

In the wake of the horrifying incident, a GoFundMe campaign for the slain family has raised $3,535. The fundraiser asked people to donate for the family’s funeral expenses before urging anyone with information on the incident to contact Romeoville Police.

“If you can spare a donation to assist with funeral expenses it will be appreciated, otherwise please share this story to create awareness, someone out there destroyed these beautiful people. They are still out there, please help us find them."

The fundraising campaign revealed that Zoraida Bartolomei and her husband had bought their first home in Romeoville and had moved in April 2023.

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Details of Zoraida Bartolomei's family's murder explored

Detailing the gruesome discovery, in a press conference on Monday, Deputy Chief Chris Burne said that on Sunday, Police performed a welfare check at the home around 8:45 p.m. They did so Alberto Rolon, who worked in a warehouse for a beverage company, failed to show up for work that morning and was unresponsive over the phone all day.

“A member of the family did not show up for work at 6 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, September 17 and did not respond to phone calls throughout the day, resulting in family members becoming concerned,” police said.

Upon arrival, officers reportedly found the bodies of the family, alongside three dogs, with fatal gunshot wounds. Authorities suspect that the shooting occurred on Saturday night. Burne noted that the community was not in danger but asked people to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

"Due to the timeframe that has gone by, more than 18 hours from the time we were contacted, we are not asking anybody to shelter in place. We are not actively looking for anybody in the area but we do always ask our residents to have a good sense of self-awareness and to report anything that they might see as suspicious."

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What we know of the victims in the Romeoville murder

The neighbors told ABC Zoraida Bartolomei and her husband Alberto Rolon both worked hard for a living. Meanwhile, the children reportedly attended R.C. Hill Elementary School in Romeoville. The Valley View School District Superintendent of Schools Rachel Kinder released a statement mourning the student's death. The statement read:

"Two of our R.C. Hill Elementary School students tragically lost their lives in a senseless act of gun violence at their residence in Romeoville..."

Authorities, who have yet to disclose a motive or description of a shooter, asked anyone with information to contact the Romeoville Police Department at 815-886-7219.