Wife of Slain California Fire Captain Captured in Mexico After Months on the Run
Sarah Johnson
March 23, 2025
Brief
Yolanda Marodi, wanted for murdering her wife, Cal Fire captain Rebecca Marodi, was captured in Mexico after a month on the run and extradited to the U.S.
A woman wanted in California for the murder of her wife, a fire captain, has been captured in Mexico after spending over a month evading authorities, according to U.S. and Mexican officials.
Yolanda Marodi, 53, was apprehended on Saturday at a hotel in Mexicali, near the U.S. border, as confirmed by the Baja California Citizen Security Secretariat. She was later handed over to U.S. marshals in San Diego and booked for the murder of 49-year-old Rebecca Marodi, as reported by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
Yolanda has a history of violence, having served more than 13 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in the death of her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak Jr., before being released in 2013, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The victim, Rebecca Marodi, a fire captain with Cal Fire, was fatally stabbed in her home on February 17. Yolanda fled across the border to Mexico later that same day and was quickly named the prime suspect. Surveillance footage reportedly captured Yolanda arguing with Rebecca and physically assaulting her prior to the fatal incident.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by local media, Rebecca had informed Yolanda nearly a week before the murder that she was leaving her and ending their marriage. This revelation appears to have escalated the situation to its tragic climax.
Chilling details from investigators include audio of Rebecca pleading, "Yolanda, please, I don't want to die," to which Yolanda allegedly responded, "You should have thought about that before," while holding what appeared to be a knife. Surveillance cameras later recorded Yolanda leaving the couple's home before Rebecca's mother arrived to discover her daughter with multiple stab wounds to the neck, chest, and back.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances and motives surrounding Rebecca's murder to piece together a fuller picture of the events that led to this horrifying act.
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Editor's Comments
What strikes me most here isn't just the brutality of the crime but the sheer audacity of Yolanda Marodi. With a history of manslaughter and then fleeing to Mexico after this shocking act, it seems like she thought she could outsmart the system. But justice caught up, as it often does. Also, Rebecca's plea for her life and Yolanda's cold response is absolutely bone-chilling—a grim reminder of how dangerous personal conflicts can become when unresolved.
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