Wife Of Slain Cal Fire Captain Captured And Arrested In Mexico

SAN DIEGO, CA — A San Diego woman suspected of killing her wife, a Cal Fire captain, was in custody Sunday after authorities in Mexico turned her over to U.S. Marshals at a U.S. Port of Entry.

Yolanda Marodi, 53, also known as Yolanda Olejniczak, fled to Mexico in her vehicle through the San Ysidro Port of Entry on Feb. 17, the same day Cal Fire Capt. Rebecca Marodi, 49, was found stabbed to death at their home in Ramona, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.

Mexican authorities notified U.S. Marshals Saturday that Yolanda Marodi was captured and taken into custody in Mexico. She was later released to U.S. Marshals.

Yolanda Marodi is accused of stabbing her wife to death because Rebecca Marodi sought to leave the marriage, according to an arrest warrant. The couple had been married for a little more than two years.

Surveillance footage from a Ring camera outside the home captured Rebecca Marodi fleeing the residence and her wife chasing after her, according to the arrest warrant.

The victim, who appears to be bloodied in the video, "is heard yelling out 'Yolanda! Please ... I don't want to die,"' the document states. Yolanda Marodi then responds, "You should have thought about that before," according to the warrant, which says the suspect appears to be holding a knife in her hand and has blood on her arms in the footage.

Rebecca Marodi repeatedly asks her wife to call 911, and at some point, the pair re-enter the home. About 10 minutes later, Yolanda Marodi is seen loading items into a Chevrolet Equinox and leaving the residence, according to the document.

Court records show Yolanda Marodi served prison time from February 2004 to November 2013 for the October 2000 stabbing death of her first spouse, James Olejniczak, in San Bernardino County. She pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in that case. Family court records filed at the North County courthouse in Vista indicate James and Yolanda Olejniczak filed for divorce in May 2000.

Yolanda Marodi was being processed by U.S. Marshals in San Diego County before being booked into custody on suspicion of murder.

Sheriff's officials said the investigation was ongoing.

Rebecca Marodi dedicated more than 30 years of her life to the fire service, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

"Her passing is a profound loss to her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside her," the department said after her death was announced. "We extend our deepest condolences to Captain Marodi's loved ones and stand together in remembrance of her extraordinary life and service."

Previous coverage:

• Wife Wanted In Fatal Stabbing Of Cal Fire Captain Fled To Mexico: Police
• 'I Don't Want To Die': Stabbed Cal Fire Captain Pleaded For Her Life
• Woman Suspected Of Killing Fire Captain Wife Killed Previous Spouse
• Suspect Identified In Fatal Stabbing Of Cal Fire Captain
• Cal Fire Captain Remembered Following Fatal Stabbing At Ramona Home
• Cal Fire Captain Fatally Stabbed In Ramona Home

City News Service contributed to this report.