A man being sought in connection to the shooting deaths of a family of four in a Chicago suburb over the weekend was found dead in a burning car in Oklahoma on Wednesday, authorities said.
Nathaniel Huey Jr., 31, of Streamwood, Illinois, was identified as a “credible” person of interest in the Sunday night slaying hours after it occurred, Romeoville Deputy Chief Chris Burne said at a news conference. Police previously said the family—two adults, their two children, and their three dogs—were likely deliberately targeted.
Also identified as a person of interest in the investigation was an unnamed Streamwood woman “with a relationship” to Huey, Burne said. The woman was reported missing and endangered by her family on Tuesday night.
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On Wednesday morning, police in Catoosa, Oklahoma—more than 600 miles from Romeoville—used a license plate reader to spot a vehicle linked to Huey in their jurisdiction. When officers attempted to stop the car, it sped away. The chase resulted “in a single-car crash of the suspect vehicle, causing the vehicle to catch on fire,” according to Burne.
Officers on the scene then heard two shots, Burne said. A woman with a gunshot wound in the passenger seat was pulled out of the burning vehicle. She was listed in critical condition on Wednesday.
A man with a gunshot wound, “believed to be Huey,” was found dead in the driver’s seat, according to a police statement.
Burne said that evidence collected by investigators reflected “a nexus” between Huey and the victims, previously identified by police as Alberto Rolon, 38, Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, and their two boys, ages 7 and 9, “as well as [a] possible motive.”
An internal police bulletin dated Sunday and obtained by ABC 7 Chicago states that Huey had extensive firearms training. It describes him as “irrational and erratic.”
State business license records reflect that Huey owned a private security company called Black Bear Security, LLC. The business was involuntarily dissolved earlier this month, CBS 2 reported.
The company’s Facebook page posted a number of photos showing Huey armed, according to ABC 7. Other images on the page showed guns, ammunition magazines, and a knife emblazoned with the phrase “I can and I will.”
Richard Hackworth, a neighbor of Huey’s and the woman, told the Chicago Tribune that he was very surprised to hear of Huey’s alleged involvement in the murders.
“I never even could think of him doing that,” Hackworth said. “He was a happy, fun guy.”
Burne said Wednesday that police do not believe there are any other suspects in the case. The investigation, led by Romeoville police with assistance from the Will County Major Crimes Task Force, remains ongoing.
