RAMONA, Calif. (KGTV) — The San Diego County Sheriff's Office on Thursday publicly identified the suspect accused of fatally stabbing a Cal Fire captain at a Ramona home Monday evening.
According to the sheriff's office, deputies are looking for 53-year-old Yolanda Marodi, also known as Yolanda Olejniczak, in connection with the killing of her wife, Rebecca “Becky” Marodi.
Rebecca Marodi worked for Cal Fire for more than 30 years, with most of her time spent in Riverside County. She also worked in San Bernardino and San Diego counties as she rose to the rank of captain.
On Feb. 17, deputies responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at a home in the 20200 block of Rancho Villa Road around 9 p.m. First responders found Rebecca Marodi inside the house with multiple stab wounds, and despite their lifesaving efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed in its autopsy that this case was a homicide; sheriff’s homicide detectives are still investigating the motivation and circumstances around the killing.
According to sheriff’s officials, Olejniczak is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 166 pounds, and has brown hair. She also has tattoos on both her upper right and left arms.
Law enforcement released photos of the vehicle and license plate they believe Olejniczak is driving. It's a silver, 2013 Chevrolet Equinox with California license plate 8BQJ420. Deputies also say she is traveling with a small, white dog.
The sheriff's office has alerted Mexican authorities about this suspect, too.
The suspect had been married to the victim for about two years, according to family members.
A spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office confirmed the Olejniczak was previously charged with an October 2000 murder in San Bernardino County.
The criminal complaint in that case states the victim was James Joseph Olejniczak and that the killing was committed with a knife. The relationship between the defendant and victim was not disclosed in the document; however, ABC News learned from a law enforcement source with knowledge of the case that it was her then-husband.
Olejniczak later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2003.
CDCR spokesperson Emily Humpal said Olejniczak was sentenced to 13 years and eight months in prison for manslaughter, plus possession of drugs or alcohol in jail as a second striker.
Olejniczak, who had more than 1,300 days credit for custodial time served prior to sentencing, was imprisoned from February 2004 until November 2013.
A family friend of Rebecca sent the following statement to ABC 10News on behalf of the family:
“On behalf of Becky’s family, we want to thank the community for the outpouring of support. We thank law enforcement for their efforts and look forward to the service of justice."
If you have any information for law enforcement on Olejniczak's whereabouts, reach out to the Homicide Unit at 858-285-6330 or call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
A benevolent fund has been set up to help pay for Rebecca Marodi's funeral expenses. Additionally, the funds will go towards honoring the late captain's legacy. If you'd like to donate to the fundraiser Cal Fire San Diego set up, you can follow this link.
City News Service contributed to this report.
