SANTA YSABEL, Calif. (KGTV) — One month after the tragic death of CAL FIRE Captain Rebecca Marodi, family and friends gathered for a memorial ride to celebrate her life and legacy.
The event on Sunday started with three separate groups riding from Hillcrest, Ramona, and Temecula to Marodi's favorite spot, Josie's Hideout in Santa Ysabel.
More than 50 riders came together for the ride to honor Marodi's memory.
Captain Marodi, who served for over 30 years, was found brutally murdered in her Ramona home last month and her wife, Yolanda Marodi, has been named a primed suspect who has since fled the country.
The shocking loss has left the community reeling, but Sunday's ride offered a chance for healing and remembrance.
At the heart of the event was Captain Marodi's beloved Harley Davidson Road Glide bike.
Marodi's best riding mate, Ami Mahler Salinas Davis, had the honor of riding Becky's motorcycle from Hillcrest to Josie's Hideout.
"I always ride with Beck, that's what we did," Davis said "I felt her lots. I felt her at the house, put her arm around me."
Davis said she knew Marodi would have wanted everyone to ride for her 'Celebration of life'.
"This is our therapy, this is our grounding. Some people meditate, we ride bikes," Davis said.
Joining the riders were firefighters who had served alongside Captain Marodi throughout her career.
Captain Erritt Hamilton of Santa Ysabel Fire said he had known Marodi for about 30 years and worked alongside her for seasonal jobs.
"I was so proud of her when she made captain," Hamilton said. He recounted their last interaction: "We did regularly text back was actually supposed to meet her here at an event the day after Valentine's Day. That's the last time I talked to her."
Fran George, who met Becky through the international riding group 'Women of the Wind' nearly 15 years ago, expressed mixed emotions about the ride on Sunday.
"She's just a happy person, and so a little bit of that happiness was taken, and I'm a little angry about that," George said. "But I loved her."
In a touching moment on Sunday, Marodi's mother, Lorena, took a ride on her daughter's bike around the block, embodying the spirit of her late daughter.
A fundraiser has been set up to assist with Marodi's funeral costs and Lorena's life expenses, as Marodi was her mother's primary caretaker.
To help out Lorena Marodi, click here.
