Shocking Details of Slain Fire Chief’s Murder Revealed, Begged Wife Not to Let Her Die: Docs

On February 17, Marodi was killed in her San Diego home, suffering multiple stab wounds. Her wife, Yolanda Marodi — also known as Yolanda Olejniczak — was identified as the suspect. Olejniczak remains on the run.

An arrest warrant obtained by ABC 7 was published on Tuesday, and showed how Marodi’s fatal stabbing allegedly went down, including with the fire chief appearing to beg her wife not to let her die.

According to ABC 7, the warrant featured audio and video footage taken from the security cameras at Marodi and Olenjniczak’s home on the evening of Marodi’s murder.

The report, per the outlet, appeared to show Olejniczak chasing Marodi on their patio, before a “female voice, believed to be Rebecca, is heard yelling out ‘Yolanda! Please… I don’t want to die.’ Rebecca reappears in the patio angle with what appears to be apparent blood on her back.”

“Yolanda responded ‘You should have thought about that before.’ Yolanda can be seen at one point standing in front of Rebecca with what appeared to be a knife in her right hand. Apparent blood was seen on Yolanda’s arms,” the warrant continued, per ABC 7.

Marodi and Olejniczak went inside the house, before Olejniczak emerged and packed up her car, according to the report.

“Yolanda is seen gathering pets, random items and some luggage, and loading it into a silver Chevrolet Equinox SUV,” the warrant reportedly said.

The report also appeared to hint at Olejniczak’s motive. According to ABC 7, the warrant noted that Olenjniczak sent a text message to a colleague, dated three days after the murder.

Olenjniczak allegedly wrote, “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.”

Per the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon on the night of February 17 and found Marodi, 49, suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Despite life-saving efforts, she died at the scene. Marodi’s cause of death was later deemed a homicide due to stab wounds or sharp force entries.

Last Thursday, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office identified Olejniczak as the suspect. At the time, her location was unknown. However, according to ABC 7, the sheriff’s office said they believe Olenjniczak escaped to Mexico, stating that Homeland Security saw her car crossing the border.

After she was named as the suspect, it was revealed that Olejniczak previously did time for killing another spouse.

According to NBC San Diego, citing court records, Olejniczak pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2003 in connection to the stabbing death of her husband, Jim Olejniczak. She was reportedly given extra time for drug and alcohol use.

She was paroled and released in 2015.

Marodi, meanwhile, was a beloved fire captain and served Cal Fire for over 30 years. According to Lieutenant Mike Krugh, Marodi and Olejniczak had been married for a little over two years.

Praising her 30 years of fire service, the Riverside County Fire Department and CAL Fire remembered Marodi for her “deeply involved peer support and hazmat, always prioritizing the well-being of her colleagues.”

The statement added, “Her legacy of mentorship, service and dedication will be felt for years to come. Her passing is a profound loss to her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside her.”

Marodi’s friends and families had a service for the slain fire chief on Monday in Temecula, per ABC 7.