Left: Yolanda Marodi (San Diego County Sheriff’s Office). Right: Cal Fire Captain Rebecca “Becky” Marodi (Riverside County Fire Department Hazmat Team).
A California woman suspected in the alleged murder of her wife — a beloved fire captain — apparently has a history of spouse-killing.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release on Feb. 21 that Yolanda Marodi, 54, was being named as a suspect in the alleged murder of Rebecca “Becky” Marodi, 49, a Cal Fire captain who was found dead in her home on Feb. 17. The suspect is the alleged victim’s wife of two years, and she is still at large.
But this is not the first time Yolanda Marodi, who also uses the name Yolanda Olejniczak, has had a marriage end in a violent act — she killed her first spouse in 2000.
According to reporting by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Yolanda Olejniczak was previously married to James Olejniczak Jr., 27, who was found fatally stabbed in the chest in October 2000. Yolanda Olejniczak was the main suspect in that case, and she turned herself in to police on the same day that her husband was discovered. The Washington Post cited court records that stated that Yolanda Olejniczak pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2003 and was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison in 2004. She was released on parole in 2013.
Rebecca Marodi was also found with multiple stab wounds when first responders from her own fire department arrived at her home. She was pronounced dead at the scene. At the time, police stated that they believed she knew who killed her, but did not name a suspect until later in the week.
In a press release, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said that Yolanda Olejniczak was driving a silver 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and was “traveling with a small, white dog.” While officials said the suspect’s whereabouts were not known, they added, “Out of an abundance of caution, the Sheriff’s Office has alerted authorities on both side of the border about this suspect.”
