By Christian Martinez
The San Diego Union-Tribune
RAMONA, Calif. — An arrest warrant for murder issued for the wife of a CAL FIRE captain details the moments before the alleged killing in Ramona and reveals that the suspect may have fled into Mexico.
According to the warrant issued Friday for Yolanda Marodi, the wife of slain Capt. Rebecca Marodi, 49, a doorbell camera at the Rancho Villa Road home captured footage of the attack on Feb. 17.
The footage, recorded just after 8 p.m., allegedly shows Rebecca Marodi running in front of the camera, chased by Yolanda Marodi, the District Attorney’s Office said in the warrant affidavit, filed in El Cajon Superior Court.
“Yolanda! Please! (I) don’t want to die,” the Cal Fire captain can allegedly be heard saying in the video before appearing on camera with what appears to be blood on her back.
“You should have thought about that before,” Yolanda Marodi, 53, allegedly states.
The footage shows Yolanda standing in front of Rebecca allegedly holding a knife, telling her to enter the house, according to the affidavit.
They both enter the home, but 10 minutes later the suspect can allegedly be seen loading pets and luggage into a Chevrolet SUV, which leaves the home at 8:22 p.m.
The affidavit states that, according to the Department of Homeland Security, Yolanda Marodi entered Mexico just after 9:15 p.m.
The following day, according to the affidavit, Yolanda Marodi texted a “known associate” regarding the incident.
“Rebecca came home and told me she was leaving me,” Yolanda said, according to the affidavit. “We had a big fight and I hurt her … I’m sorry.”
Yolanda is described as 5 feet, 2 inches tall weighing 166 pounds with brown hair.
Rebecca Marodi was found in her home with multiple stab wounds and lacerations less than an hour after her wife was allegedly seen departing the residence.
She died at the scene.
The pair had been married for around two years, investigators said.
The incident bears some similarities to the October 2000 killing of Yolanda Marodi’s then-husband, James Olejniczak, in Riverside County.
According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, Olejniczak was found dead in his apartment with stab wounds to his chest.
Yolanda Marodi, who had reportedly been estranged from Olejniczak and lived in Vista with her two children, turned herself in to authorities shortly after the body was found.
Marodi was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and served 13 years in prison in connection with the slaying.
Following Rebecca Marodi’s death, Cal Fire established a fund to assist her family.
“Captain Marodi … dedicated more than three decades to serving and protecting our communities with unwavering bravery, leadership, and commitment,” the agency wrote on the fund webpage.
Marodi’s firefighting career began as a volunteer firefighter in 2003 working for nearly two decades before attaining the rank of captain in 2022. She worked out of a station in French Valley in Riverside County.
“She was not just a respected leader and mentor — she was a beloved member of the CAL FIRE family,” the agency wrote.
The agency said Marodi was also the primary caregiver for her 77-year-old mother who resided with her in Ramona.
“Her sudden and heartbreaking passing has left her family facing immense grief and uncertainty,” the agency said.
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