California Woman Sentenced to 36 Years to Life After Pleading Guilty to Murder of Fire Captain Wife

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AUTHORITIES SAY A WOMAN WHO PREVIOUSLY SERVED TIME FOR FATALLY STABBING HER HUSBAND KILLED HER WIFE DECADES LATER AND HAS NOW BEEN SENTENCED TO 36 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON.

On February 17, 2025, shortly before 9:00 p.m., deputies were called to a residence on Rancho Villa Road in Ramona, California.

The response followed a report of an assault with a deadly weapon.

Upon arrival, deputies entered the residence.

They found a woman lying face down in a hallway.

She was suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Deputies immediately attempted lifesaving measures.

Firefighters soon arrived at the house and took over the emergency care.

The woman died at the scene.

Authorities identified the victim as 49-year-old Rebecca “Becky” Marodi.

Rebecca was a veteran firefighter.

She had worked for the state for more than 30 years.

Over that career, she had risen to the rank of fire captain.

At the time of her death, Rebecca had been married to 52-year-old Yolanda Marodi for approximately two years.

Rebecca’s mother, Lorena Marodi, also resided in the home with the couple.

Earlier that day, according to testimony, Yolanda spoke with Lorena.

Yolanda told Lorena that she and Rebecca had some things to work out.

However, Yolanda assured her that there would not be any fighting when Rebecca returned home.

Lorena later left the house to spend time with friends.

Investigators said Rebecca had recently decided to leave the marriage.

About a week before her death, she had informed Yolanda that she wanted to separate.

That night, an argument broke out inside the Ramona residence.

Investigators said footage captured by a Ring camera showed Rebecca running out of the house.

The footage showed Yolanda chasing after her.

Rebecca could be heard on the recording calling out for her mother.

According to investigators, Yolanda responded to her cries by stating that her mother was not there.

The two women then moved out of the camera’s view.

Eventually, they appeared on camera again.

Investigators said Rebecca was covered in blood.

She could be heard pleading with Yolanda.

Rebecca said that she did not want to die.

Yolanda appeared to be holding a knife, according to investigators.

She also had blood visible on her arms.

Yolanda responded to Rebecca by saying she should have thought about that before.

Rebecca repeatedly asked Yolanda to call 911.

The two women eventually went back inside the house.

Rebecca suffered 23 stab wounds across her neck, chest and abdomen.

Approximately 10 minutes later, the Ring camera recorded further activity outside.

Investigators said the camera captured Yolanda loading belongings into a Chevrolet Equinox.

She then drove away from the property.

Later that evening, Lorena returned to the home after spending time with her friends.

As she approached the house, she noticed that Yolanda’s vehicle was not there.

Lorena walked inside the residence.

She discovered a trail of blood leading into the home.

Then she found her daughter lying unresponsive.

Lorena called 911.

Investigators later determined that Yolanda crossed the United States-Mexico border approximately one hour after the fatal stabbing occurred.

The following day, Yolanda sent a text message to another person.

In the message, she acknowledged that she and Rebecca had fought.

According to an arrest-warrant declaration, Yolanda stated that Rebecca had returned home and announced she was leaving because she had met someone else.

Yolanda wrote that they had a “big fight.”

She also wrote that she had hurt Rebecca.

As law enforcement searched for Yolanda, they reviewed her criminal history.

Investigators learned that she had previously been convicted of killing another spouse.

In October 2000, Yolanda fatally stabbed her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak, in San Bernardino County, California.

She later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in that case.

In 2004, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the death of her husband.

Yolanda was released from prison in 2013.

More than a decade after that release, she married Rebecca.

Following the killing in Ramona, Yolanda remained in Mexico for more than a month.

On March 22, 2025, Mexican authorities located Yolanda.

They arrested her near a hotel in the Ferrocarril neighborhood of Mexicali.

Yolanda was subsequently returned to the United States.

She was charged with Rebecca’s murder.

During a preliminary hearing, investigators presented details regarding the Ring-camera recordings.

They also detailed the extent of the 23 stab wounds Rebecca had suffered.

On August 4, 2026, 54-year-old Yolanda Marodi entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder.

The plea occurred approximately one month before her trial was scheduled to begin.

Along with the plea, Yolanda admitted to having the prior serious felony conviction for the voluntary manslaughter of her husband.

On September 2, 2026, Yolanda received her sentence.

The court ordered her to serve 36 years to life in prison for Rebecca’s murder.