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2 adults, 2 children found dead inside Romeoville home

By SHARDAA GRAY, MARYBEL GONZALEZ, ELYSSA KAUFMAN, DARIUS JOHNSON

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    ROMEOVILLE, Illinois (WBBM) — Four people, including two adults and two children, were found dead inside a home in the 500 block of Concord Avenue in Romeoville on Sunday night.

Three deceased dogs were also recovered from inside the home.

Officers were sent to the 500 block of Concord Avenue to conduct a well-being check after a family member did not show up for work Sunday morning, and did not respond to phone calls during the day.

Romeoville Police Deputy Chief Chris Burne said police are not investigating the incident as a murder-suicide and they are searching for the killer.

Investigators said they believe the crime happened sometime between 9 p.m. Saturday and 5 a.m. Sunday.

Police have identified two of the victims as Alberto Rolon, 38, and Zoraida Bartolomei, 32. Burne said the children are related to the two adults, but police were not releasing the children’s names as of Monday morning.

Police are searching for the shooter, who was not among the victims, but are not asking residents to shelter in place, Burne said.

As CBS 2’s Marybel González reported, the details of what happened in the Romeoville house remained very much a mystery Monday night.

Neighbors tell CBS 2’s Shardaa Gray the victims moved in just a few months ago. They were also a mystery to their neighbors – who said they kept to themselves, and were only ever briefly seen outside.

“Kind of unsettling for the block,” said Carol Love. “We didn’t know what was going on, even when everything started happening.”

Love lives next door. She was home during the shootings, but says she – like many people on the block – did not hear anything at all, despite living only a few feet away.

“None of the neighbors really knew, and the officers couldn’t, of course, tell us at that point,” Love said.

“We hear the gunshots of the from the shooting range – shooting range, two miles. We can hear those nonstop,” said another neighbor. “But not this, no.”

Neighbor Lynn Phillips, who did not want her face shown, said she’s lived on the block for nearly two decades.

She said she’s never seen officers swarm her neighborhood like she saw Sunday night.

“It’s devastating to me, absolutely devastating that a young family has been murdered,” Phillips said.

She’s talking about four people, including two children, who were found with gunshot wounds inside of this home.

Phillips lives just two doors down.

“Who does that, you know,” Phillips said. “But I’m very sad. I’ve cried on and off last night. I haven’t really slept.”

Neighbors said the family moved in around springtime. They knew very little about them.

“He was very concerned about not bothering his neighbors,” a neighbor said, “Very, kept to themselves.”

“I want to know what’s going on, man. It’s very, very quiet. It’s incredibly quiet,” said neighbor Dan Lugo. “This stuff doesn’t happen here. It’s very unnerving. I’m pretty sure the whole neighborhood is shook up.”

While at the home on Concord Avenue, crime scene technicians were in and out of the home taking photos, and several brown and pink bags were removed from the home.

There were items like a TV or computer screen and part of a window taken from the scene. Police have not released any details on a possible suspect.

On Monday evening, the only sound was that of the house being boarded up, and the quiet prayers of neighbors who remained shocked.

“I don’t feel safe right now,” a neighbor said.

The neighbors are terrified about what happened – especially as police have yet to announce an arrest.

“We just hope they find them,” said Love.

Anyone with information should contact the Romeoville Police Department at (815) 886-7219.

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