Woman suspected of killing Cal Fire captain was convicted of killing her first spouse

Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times on Feb 21, 2025

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LOS ANGELES — A woman suspected of killing her wife, a Cal Fire captain who battled the Eaton fire last month, was previously convicted of killing her first spouse, records show.

Yolanda Marodi, also known as Yolanda Olejniczak, is a suspect in the slaying of her wife, Rebecca Marodi, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Rebecca Marodi, 49, was found stabbed to death Monday at a residence in Ramona.

Rebecca and Yolanda Marodi were married for slightly more than two years, according to sheriff’s Lt. Michael Krugh. According to public records, they also shared the same address.

Yolanda Marodi was sentenced in 2004 to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak, according to court records. She served time in prison from 2004 until 2013.

Marodi, 53, is currently at large and authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating her. She is described as 5 feet 2, about 166 pounds with brown hair, according to a Sheriff’s Department news release.

Rebecca Marodi started her career as a volunteer firefighter in 1993 in Moreno Valley and worked as a seasonal firefighter in Riverside and San Bernardino counties from 1994 to 2000, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department. She was a fire apparatus engineer in 2007 and promoted to captain in 2022.

Marodi was among the many firefighters who helped battle the deadly Eaton fire last month, according to an Instagram post.

An Instagram account for Yolanda Marodi included a reference to Rebecca Marodi as her wife.

“No special occasion is ever needed, to express my love for my amazing wife,” Yolanda Marodi wrote in a January 2023 post. “I’m so lucky to have married someone that loves me for ME. She truly helps me be a better me, and my life has never been better since she’s been in it. So glad I gave love another chance.”

Rebecca Marodi responded by commenting: “I love you my beautiful wife.”