The wife of a veteran Cal Fire captain who was stabbed to death in her home has been identified as her suspected killer, and she has previously served prison time for fatally stabbing her husband in 2000.
Yolanda Marodi, 53, is wanted in connection with the death of Rebecca “Beck” Marodi, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday. The suspect, also known as Yolanda Olenjniczak, and the victim had been married for just over two years.
The 49-year-old veteran firefighter was discovered with multiple stab wounds at her home in Ramona, northeast of San Diego, shortly before 9 p.m. on Monday. She was first identified by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on Tuesday.
Marodi was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2004 after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of her then-husband James Olenjniczak in his Fontana home in October 2000. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter, who were both infants when their father died.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the suspect served a 13-year, eight-month prison sentence. According to the department, the additional time was due to drug and alcohol use.
Detectives are looking into possible motives, and the suspect’s current location is unknown, according to the sheriff’s office. However, sources tell ABC News that Marodi has fled to Mexico.
Lilia Phleger, Rebecca Marodi’s ex-wife, told CBS News that her relationship with the suspect was “a typical toxic relationship”.
She went on, “Yolanda was very jealous. My understanding is that she was extremely jealous and did not want Becky to maintain the friendships she had with other women for years.”
Rebecca Marodi helped to spearhead the fight against the devastating wildfires that raged across southern California last month.
A recent Instagram post from Cal Fire’s Temecula-based Batallion 15, as well as Marodi’s Facebook page, show her on the front lines of the deadly Eaton Fire with Cal Fire Riverside’s Engine Company 83.
She was stationed in French Valley, just north of San Diego, and served as a firefighter for nearly three decades, rising from volunteer in 1993 to captain in 2022. She was thought to have planned her retirement for later this year.
Rebecca Marodi was transported to the medical examiner’s office by a procession of fire engines and trucks on Tuesday afternoon. She was draped in the American flag and wheeled out of her home on a gurney by other firefighters.
Earlier this week, officials stated that Rebecca Marodi may have known “the perpetrator, and we are treating this case as a potential domestic violence incident.” Investigators did not initially explain how the victim could have known her suspected killer.
San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to revive the off-duty firefighter before Cal Fire paramedics arrived. Despite their efforts, Marodi died from her injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Lieutenant Michael Krugh of SDCSO’s homicide unit in a statement released on Tuesday.
The Medical Examiner’s Office conducted the autopsy on Wednesday and determined that the cause of death was stab wounds or sharp force entries, according to a sheriff’s office statement.
John Clingingsmith, a Cal Fire Riverside County public information officer, had known the firefighter for thirty years.
“She always had a positive attitude. She always smiled. It didn’t matter what the circumstances were,” Clingingsmith told ABC 7. “I think that’s one of the things everybody has been talking about, was her smile and her laugh, and just the fact that she was always there.”
Lieutenant Krugh responded: “Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of Rebecca Marodi during this challenging time.”
Despite the tragic incident, Cal Fire stated that Rebecca Marodi’s legacy will endure.
“Beyond her operational assignments, Captain Marodi was deeply involved in Peer Support and Hazmat, always prioritizing the well-being of her colleagues,” the organization said in a statement.
“Her legacy of mentoring, service, and dedication will be felt for many years. Her death is a profound loss for her family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of working with her.”
