Wife of slain California fire captain arrested on suspicion of murder
A month after an official with California's department of forestry and fire protection (CalFire) was found slain at her home, the woman's wife has been arrested in Mexico on suspicion of murder, authorities said – marking the second time the suspect is accused of illicitly killing a spouse of hers.
Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi's arrest came after she was named the prime suspect in the 17 February stabbing death of CalFire Capt Rebecca Marodi, 49, in Ramona, near San Diego.
Olejniczak Marodi was previously convicted in the fatal stabbing of her then husband, James Joseph Olejniczak, the Los Angeles Times reported. She pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter after the stabbing in 2000 and served nearly a decade in prison.
In Rebecca Marodi's death, Olejniczak Marodi was arrested on Saturday at a hotel in the city of Mexicali, just south of the US border, according to officials in Mexico. Mexican state security agents transferred her to US marshals, and she was returned to the US, according to a statement from the San Diego county sheriff's office.
It wasn't known on Sunday if Olejniczak Marodi, 53, had an attorney. She is facing a count of murder as the investigation into Marodi's killing continues, the statement said.
Rebecca Marodi, a decorated captain with the state agency, was part of the battle against the Eaton fire in January near Los Angeles. She and Olejniczak Marodi had been married for over two years.
Olejniczak Marodi had been at large since Marodi's slaying and had driven into Mexico the night of her death, according to the statement from the sheriff's office. She was seen on surveillance video earlier in the evening 'arguing with Rebecca and physically assaulting her' before leaving the house, the statement said.
Home security footage from a surveillance camera at the couple's home depicted a brutal scene on the evening of 17 February, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the Times. A woman believed to be Marodi can be heard in the video screaming 'Yolanda! Please … ! I don't want to die!' before appearing on video with blood on her back, according to the warrant.
The footage shows Olejniczak Marodi packing items into a silver SUV, which is seen about an hour later crossing the border into Mexico, according to the warrant.
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