Yolanda Marodi: Police believe fugitive accused of murdering fire captain wife entered Mexico
An hour after allegedly stabbing her wife to death, Yolanda left the country - but home security cameras caught the horrifying ordeal
Two eerie murders over the span of 25 years have led to the same woman linked to both to flee, and investigators believe an hour after allegedly murdering her wife, she crossed the border into Mexico.
According to an affidavit obtained by NBC, Rebecca Marodi’s mother called 911 at about 8:58 p.m. on Feb. 17, 2025 to report that her daughter had been stabbed in her Rancho Villa Road home. When police responded to the scene, they discovered Marodi with “several lacerations and apparent stab wounds on her body, including her neck area, her chest, and abdomen.”
While trying to provide life-saving aid, one of the paramedics recognized Rebecca as a Cal-Fire Captain who worked for the Riverside County Cal-Fire Statio. She died at the scene.
The affidavit notes that Rebecca’s mother, Lorena, was on the scene and told police that a week before, Rebecca had informed her wife, Yolanda Marodi, that she was leaving her and the marriage was over. Lorena noted that Yolanda usually stayed at home, but she was currently missing. She also told police she had surveillance video at her home and was willing to share it and her phone with police.
On Feb. 18, 2025, police reviewed that footage and watched a harrowing crime take place. A woman they believe to be Rebecca was seen running across the patio at about 8:08 p.m., chased by a woman in a yellow shirt they believe to be Yolanda.
A voice, believed to be the victim, yelled out, “Yolanda! Please… I don’t want to die.”
Rebecca appeared on camera again with what looked like blood on her back.
“You should have thought about that before,” came the response, believed to be from Yolanda.
At one point during the footage, Yolanda can be seen standing before Rebecca with what police believe is a knife in her right hand, with “apparent blood” on Yolanda’s arms. She was telling Rebecca to go inside while Rebecca told her repeatedly to call 911.
The last time Rebecca is seen in the footage is when she goes back inside the home at 8:09 p.m.
At about 8:20 p.m., Yolanda reappears on camera, and according to the affidavit, she “was gathering pets, random items, and some luggage, and loading it into a silver Chevrolet Equinox SUV.” She had changed her clothing and left the residence at about 8:22 p.m.
When police conducted a background check with the Department of Homeland Security, it revealed that the Equinox had crossed into Mexico at about 9:16 p.m.
The affidavit also states that “a known associate of Yolanda” called investigators on Feb. 20, 2025 to inform them that Yolanda had sent them a text message on Feb. 18, 2025 which read:
“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.”
On the Run
Yolanda Marodi remains on the loose and is believed to be in Mexico. In a press release, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office (SDSO) described her as 5’2” in height, weighing 166 pounds, and has brown eyes and brown hair. She has tattoos on both of her upper right and left arms.
The release adds that she also goes by Yolanda Olejniczak, and “is believed to be driving a silver 2013 Chevrolet Equinox with California license plate ‘8BQJ420.’ She is traveling with a small white dog.”
The Sheriff’s office, U.S. Marshals Service's San Diego Fugitive Task Force and San Diego County Crime Stoppers are working together to track her down.
Retired FBI profiler Gregg McCrary, who isn’t involved with the case, spoke to ABC 10 News about how investigators might go about capturing their fugitive. While those searching for her might be quiet publicly, he says there is likely lots happening behind the scenes and explained what they might be looking for in terms of Yolanda evading capture.
“At the very least, consider the possibility they’ve altered their appearance in some way, cut their hair, they’re wearing a wig, doing something,” he said.
He added that Yolanda likely chose Mexico because she feels safe there and has some semblance of familiarity there.
“If she’s run to Mexico, chances are good that she feels safe there; there’s going to be family or friends or some environment in which she is running to where she feels comfortable,” he said.
American police will also be working closely with Mexican authorities, he noted. If Yolanda is running on her own, the chase could end quickly, but any help she receives could elongate the time it takes to bring her into custody.
And running to Mexico doesn’t mean she can’t be brought back to the U.S., according to criminal defense attorney Gretchen von Helms, also unrelated to the case but spoke to ABC 10 News. Helms has worked cases involving extradition. If Yolanda is a U.S. citizen, the process is simple.
“If they get her, the Mexican authorities can just call the U.S. authorities and just take her to the border and deport her,” she explained.
However, Helms said that if Yolanda holds a Mexican citizenship, she can still be returned to the U.S., but the process could take longer.
“A process where she can file documents that say she’s a Mexican citizen, they’ll still honor the extradition treaty, but it’s a longer process,” she said.
A mother’s grief resurfaced
The Independent’s Feb. 21 report revealed the startling revelation that Marodi was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 2004 for the murder of her husband at the time, James Olenjniczak, who was also stabbed in his own home in Fontana in October 2000.
Marodi and Olenjnicak had a son and daughter who were just infants when their father died.
Via the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Independent confirmed that Marodi spent 13 years and eight months in prison for the murder, despite being sentenced to 11. She served extra time as a result of drug and alcohol use.
Nancy Hayworth, the mother of James Olenjniczak spoke to ABC 10 News about the loss of her son.
“Twenty-five years later, you know, there’s not a day that went by that I didn’t think about him, but when this happened, oh my god,” Hayworth said.
Her son was only 26 at the time of his murder.
“My son was a good man. He was, everybody wants to say that about their children, but my oldest boy was my good boy,” Hayworth said of him.
But she didn’t speak so highly of Yolanda and only met her once.
“Scary, very scary, she scares me, she always has,” she said.
“She was a little immature at times, and also, she would just was not happy, I think, unless all the attention was on her,” she added.
Hayworth explained that he met someone else while he and Yolanda were in the midst of divorcing, and she murdered him five months after the filing. Hayworth said she never understood the short sentence Yolanda received.
“I thought, how could someone take someone’s life and only be in a few years and then be let out and get to live your life, and my son will never have that,” she said.
Tips about Olejniczak and her whereabouts should be called in to 9-1-1 or the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330, or after hours at (858) 868-3200.
Anyone with leads can also call Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. The press release states that Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in this case.
More on this case here:
Sources
ABC 10 News