Mexican authorities, specifically the Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana (FESC), detained the 53-year-old Marodi near a hotel in Mexicali's Ferrocarril neighborhood, roughly 2.3 miles south of the U.S. border. The Baja California Citizen Security Secretariat (SSCBC) coordinated with U.S. law enforcement, including the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Marshals Service San Diego Fugitive Task Force, to confirm her identity and facilitate her transfer.
Marodi, also known as Yolanda Olejniczak, was handed over to U.S. Marshals at a U.S. port of entry and is now being processed for booking into San Diego County Jail on murder charges. The SSCBC highlighted the arrest as a result of "information exchanges" between U.S. and Mexican authorities, a collaboration that intensified after Marodi fled to Mexico hours after the killing.
The murder of Rebecca Marodi, a 49-year-old Cal Fire captain with over 30 years of service, unfolded on the evening of February 17 at their home on the 20200 block of Rancho Villa Road. Home security footage captured a harrowing scene: Rebecca, bloodied and running across the patio, pleaded, "Yolanda! Please … I don’t want to die,”"while Yolanda, allegedly holding a knife with blood on her arms, responded, "You should have thought about that before."
The murder of Rebecca Marodi, a 49-year-old Cal Fire captain with over 30 years of service, unfolded on the evening of February 17 at their home on the 20200 block of Rancho Villa Road. Home security footage captured a harrowing scene: Rebecca, bloodied and running across the patio, pleaded, "Yolanda! Please … I don’t want to die,”"while Yolanda, allegedly holding a knife with blood on her arms, responded, "You should have thought about that before."
The affidavit supporting Yolanda's arrest warrant details how Rebecca repeatedly begged for 911 to be called before the couple moved inside. Minutes later, Yolanda was seen loading pets, luggage, and belongings into a silver Chevrolet Equinox SUV, which Department of Homeland Security logs recorded crossing into Mexico at 9:16pm. that night. Rebecca's mother, Lorena, who lived in an accessory dwelling on the property, called 911 around 9 pm, but despite life-saving efforts, Rebecca was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple stab wounds to her neck, chest, and abdomen.
Yolanda Marodi’s history adds a grim layer to the case. In 2004, she pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the 2000 stabbing death of her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak, in San Bernardino County, serving nearly a decade in prison until 2013. Court records also reveal a 1995 fraud conviction for stealing over $4,000 in state aid. An arrest warrant affidavit notes that Rebecca had told Yolanda she was leaving her a week before the murder, a decision that may have sparked the fatal confrontation. A text Yolanda sent to an associate the next day read, "Becky came home and told me she was leaving, she met someone else, all the messages were lies. We had a big fight and I hurt her…I’m sorry," offering a glimpse into a possible motive.
Rebecca Marodi’s death reverberated across the firefighting community. A captain since 2022, she began as a volunteer in Moreno Valley in 1993, later serving in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties. She battled January's Eaton Fire in Altadena, one of California's deadliest windstorm-driven blazes, and was known for her peer support work, "always prioritizing the well-being of her colleagues," per a Cal Fire statement.
Rebecca Marodi’s death reverberated across the firefighting community. A captain since 2022, she began as a volunteer in Moreno Valley in 1993, later serving in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties. She battled January's Eaton Fire in Altadena, one of California's deadliest windstorm-driven blazes, and was known for her peer support work, "always prioritizing the well-being of her colleagues," per a Cal Fire statement.
The Cal Fire San Diego Benevolent Fund raised over $21,000 for her family, who described her as a "beloved member" who dedicated three decades to protecting communities. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department expressed relief at the arrest: "We thank our law enforcement partners in San Diego and Mexico for their hard work. Becky was a beloved member of our community and Department, and we miss her greatly."
The investigation remains ongoing, with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department urging anyone with information to contact the Homicide Unit at 858.285.6330 or 858.868-3200 after hours, or to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 888.580.8477.
The investigation remains ongoing, with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department urging anyone with information to contact the Homicide Unit at 858.285.6330 or 858.868-3200 after hours, or to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 888.580.8477.
