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Background: News footage of the flag-draped body of Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi being removed from her home in Ramona, Calif. (KNSD). Inset: Fire Captain Rebecca “Becky” Marodi (Riverside County Fire Department Hazmat Team).
A California fire captain was found stabbed to death in her home, and police said she may have known the person who killed her.
Rebecca “Becky” Marodi, 49, was discovered on Feb. 17 after first responders were called to the scene where an apparent assault with a deadly weapon was reported minutes before 9 p.m. When paramedics arrived at Marodi’s home, they attempted lifesaving measures, but the fire captain was already deceased. In an even more tragic turn, the first responders who reported to the scene belonged to the same California fire department as the victim they were trying to help.
In a press release, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office said that Marodi, a Cal Fire Captain at Riverside County’s Temecula fire station since 2022, was found with multiple stab wounds. The department’s Homicide Unit took over the investigation into Marodi’s death and suspected that the case stemmed from domestic violence. The release stated that investigators believed that Marodi knew her killer, but did not immediately have a motive that was clear.
Marodi, a 30-year veteran of Cal Fire who began her career as a volunteer and served at several stations, was transported by her Cal Fire colleagues, who draped her body in an American flag as it was removed from her home, according to San Diego NBC affiliate KNSD. She was accompanied by a Cal Fire motorcade as she was taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.
Cal Fire Riverside posted a lengthy remembrance for their fallen fire captain on their Facebook page, saying, “Her passing is a profound loss to her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside her. Beyond her operational assignments, Captain Marodi was deeply involved in peer support and Hazmat, always prioritizing the well-being of her colleagues. Her legacy of mentorship, service and dedication will be felt for years to come.”
The San Diego Sheriff’s Office said that “[h]omicide detectives are actively working to contact persons of interest, identify a suspect, and locate and apprehend them as quickly as possible.”