The wife and sole suspect in the murder of a Cal Fire captain in Southern California last month has been taken into custody and will face a murder charge in San Diego County.
The story made headlines across the state when 49-year-old Cal Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi was stabbed to death in her home in Ramona, California on February 17, and the suspect, who fled the country, was her wife of two years, 53-year-old Yolanda Olejniczak.
Authorities said they had Ring camera footage from the home that included Marodi's plea for her life, saying off camera, "Yolanda! Please... I don't want to die," to which Olejniczak replied, "You should have thought of that before." Marodi could also be seen on camera begging Olejniczak to call 911.
As KCAL reports, Marodi's mother apparently was able to see the live footage and called 911 herself, but Olejniczak was able to flee the scene with the couple's pets before they could arrive. Border cameras captured Olejniczak heading into Mexico shortly thereafter.
Marodi was found with multiple stab wounds to her neck, chest, and abdomen.
As CNN reports, authorities have subsequently uncovered a text message Olejniczak sent to a friend in the days after the killing which said, "Becky came home and told me she was leaving me. She met someone else, all the messages were lies. We had a big fight, and I hurt her ... I'm sorry."
Olejniczak was arrested Saturday near a hotel on Fresnillo Avenue in Mexicali, in Baja California, and later released to US marshals. As NBC San Diego reports, she was in the process of being booked in San Diego County on Monday morning.
Notably, Olejniczak served over 13 years in prison for fatally stabbing her previous spouse, James Joseph Olejniczak in San Bernardino County in 2000.
Marodi's ex-wife, Lilia Phleger, spoke to KCAL, saying that Marodi and Olejniczak had a "a typical toxic relationship."
"Yolanda was very jealous," Phleger said. "My understanding is she was very jealous and did not want to have Becky maintain the friendships she had for years with other women."
Marodi was a 32-year veteran firefighter who had recently helped to fight the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. She was stationed with Cal Fire's French Valley Station 83, and had been promoted to captain in 2022. As KCAL reports, she had previously been stationed in Perris, Home Gardens, Indian Wells, Menifee, North Rancho Mirage, and Temecula.
Cal Fire put out a statement following the arrest, thanking authorities for their work and saying, "Becky was a beloved member of our community and Department, and we miss her greatly."
