In a striking turn of events, a woman from California has admitted to the murder of her fire captain spouse, marking yet another chapter in a turbulent history involving violent crimes with previous convictions.
On Tuesday, 54-year-old Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder charges regarding the tragic demise of her wife, Rebecca “Becky” Marodi. At 49, Becky was an esteemed firefighter based in California who tragically lost her life to a fatal stabbing incident at their shared residence in Ramona during February of 2025.
In the courtroom, when queried by the judge about her plea to the charge of second-degree murder, Marodi responded affirmatively with: “Guilty.”
First responders found Becky Marodi suffering from multiple stab wounds, and she was subsequently declared dead at the scene of the crime. (Cal Fire / Riverside County Fire Department)
This plea deal also included Marodi’s acknowledgment of a previous serious felony related to the 2000 stabbing death of her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak, highlighting a disturbing pattern in her criminal past.
She pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in that case in 2003 before her release in 2013, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Rebecca Marodi, a veteran Cal Fire captain, suffered multiple stab wounds during the Feb. 17, 2025 attack.
Prosecutors said surveillance footage captured her fleeing the home as Yolanda Marodi pursued her. Rebecca was found with several injuries to her neck, chest and back that authorities said were consistent with a stabbing.
Investigators later alleged that Marodi fled to Mexico after the killing, where she remained for more than a month before being arrested in Mexicali and returned to the United States.
Yolanda Marodi was arrested at a hotel in Mexicali near the U.S. border, according to authorities in Mexico. (Baja California Citizen Security Secretariat)
Marodi had initially pleaded not guilty to Rebecca’s murder before changing her plea to guilty to second-degree murder.
She is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 2.
The wife of California Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi pleaded guilty to her murder. (Yolanda Marodi Facebook)
Rebecca Marodi served more than 30 years with Cal Fire, mainly in Riverside County, starting as a volunteer in Moreno Valley. Most recently, officials confirmed she helped battle the Eaton Fire.
U.S. Marshals take the suspect in the Cal Fire captain’s death, Yolanda Marodi, into custody at Calexico West U.S. Port of Entry. (FOX 5/KUSI)
CAL Fire Riverside acknowledged Rebecca Marodi’s death and said it is a “profound loss.”
“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,” the department wrote in a previous statement on their Facebook page.