The wife of a veteran Cal Fire captain, who was stabbed to death in her home, has been identified as her suspected killer while it was also revealed that she 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 said on Thursday. The suspect, who also goes by Yolanda Olenjniczak, and the victim had been married for just over two years.
The 49-year-old veteran firefighter was found with multiple stab wounds at her home in Ramona, northeast of San Diego, just before 9 p.m. on Monday. She was first identified by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Tuesday.
Marodi was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2004 after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing her then-husband James Olenjniczak in his Fontana home in October 2000. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter, both were infants at the time of their father’s death.
The suspect served a sentence of 13 years and eight months in prison, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The use of drugs and alcohol accounted for the additional time, the department said.
Detectives are investigating potential motivations, and the suspect’s whereabouts is currently unknown, the sheriff’s office said. However, sources told ABC News that Marodi has fled to Mexico.
Rebecca Marodi’s ex-wife, Lilia Phleger, told CBS News that her relationship with the suspect was “a typical toxic relationship”.
She added: “Yolanda was very jealous. My understanding is she was very jealous and did not want to have Becky maintain the friendships she had for years with other women.”
Rebecca Marodi helped to lead the fight against the devastating wildfires that raged across southern California last month.
A recent Instagram post from Cal Fire’s Batallion 15, stationed in Temecula, and Marodi’s Facebook shows 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 spent almost three decades working as a firefighter, making her way from a volunteer in 1993 to captain in 2022. She was believed to have been planning her retirement for later this year.
A procession of fire engines and trucks transported Rebecca Marodi to the medical examiner's office Tuesday afternoon. She was draped in the American flag and wheeled out of her home on a gurney by fellow firefighters.
Earlier this week, officials said that Rebecca Marodi may have known “the perpetrator and are treating this case as a potential domestic violence incident.” Investigators did not initially elaborate on how the victim may have known her suspected killer.
San Diego County Sheriff's deputies attempted to resuscitate the off-duty firefighter until Cal Fire paramedics arrived. Despite their efforts, Marodi succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, Lieutenant Michael Krugh of SDCSO’s homicide unit said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Medical Examiner's Office conducted the autopsy Wednesday and concluded that the cause of death was stab wounds or sharp force entries, per the sheriff’s office statement.
John Clingingsmith, a Cal Fire Riverside County public information officer, had known the firefighter for 30 years.
“She was always very positive. Always had a smile on her face. It didn't matter what the situation was,” 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 said: “Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of Rebecca Marodi during this challenging time.”
Despite the tragic incident, Cal Fire said Rebecca Marodi’s legacy will remain.
“Beyond her operational assignments, Captain Marodi was deeply involved in Peer Support and Hazmat, always prioritizing the well-being of her colleagues,” it said in a statement.
“Her legacy of mentorship, service and dedication will be felt for years to come. Her passing is a profound loss to her family, friends and all who had the privilege of working alongside her.”
