
Woman accused of killing her California fire captain wife captured in Mexico
SAN DIEGO — A woman suspected of fatally stabbing her fire captain wife at their home in Southern California has been captured in Mexico after more than a month on the run, Mexican officials said Saturday.
Yolanda Marodi was taken into custody after being found at a hotel roughly 2.3 miles south of the U.S. border in the city of Mexicali, the Baja California Citizen Security Secretariat (SSCBC) said in a statement.
The SSCBC said Marodi was transferred to the border with the help of Mexico's National Institute of Migration. It wasn't clear if she was handed to U.S. authorities or otherwise extradited.
She was wanted by U.S. authorities in the Feb. 17 killing of 49-year-old Rebecca 'Becky' Marodi, a respected California fire captain, at the couple's home in San Diego County.
The secretariat said cooperation and an exchange of information with U.S. authorities helped lead to the arrest.
An affidavit in support of an arrest warrant for Yolanda Marodi cites home security video depict ing a horrific scene outside the couple's home in Ramona as she confronted a bloodied Rebecca Marodi with a knife on Feb. 17.
As the pair ran across a patio that night, Rebecca Marodi was heard on the recording saying, "Yolanda! Please … ! don't want to die," according to the declaration.
At one point, Yolanda Marodi responded, "You should have thought about that before," according to the affidavit.
Rebecca Marodi's mother, who lived with the couple, called authorities to say her daughter had been stabbed, according to the document.
Shortly after, the home's security camera captured Yolanda Marodi, wearing different clothes, placing belongings, luggage and pets in her silver Chevrolet Equinox SUV and driving away, according to the document.
The same night, the SUV crossed into Mexico, about 45 miles south of Ramona, the affidavit stated, citing Department of Homeland Security records.
Yolanda Marodi was charged with murder on Feb. 21.
The search for her included the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Marshal's Service San Diego Fugitive Task Force, authorities said. Carlos Zúñiga, spokesperson for Baja California's state security agency, said authorities there had been searching for her in coordination with U.S. counterparts, NBC San Diego reported last month.
In 2003, Yolanda Marodi pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of husband Jim Olejniczak in 2000, the station reported. She was released from custody a decade later.
The affidavit states that an unnamed witness received a text from Yolanda Marodi a day after Rebecca Marodi's killing, stating that Rebecca Marodi had told Yolanda Marodi "she met someone else" and was leaving her.
'Becky came home and told me she was leaving, she met someone else, all the messages were lies. We had a big fight and I hurt her…I'm sorry," the text stated, according to the affidavit.
First responders at the home reported Rebecca Marodi had multiple stab wounds, including lacerations to her neck, chest and abdomen, the document said. She was declared dead at the scene.
According to a joint statement from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, and the Riverside County Fire Department, Rebecca Marodi worked in firefighting for more than 30 years, starting as a volunteer in Moreno Valley, a city about 85 miles north of Ramona, in Riverside County.
She was a seasonal firefighter, then a full-time one, before she moved up to engineer in 2007 and captain in 2022, working mostly in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to the statement.
Rebecca Marodi dedicated much of her career to peer support, "always prioritizing the well-being of her colleagues," according to the statement.
An Instagram post from Cal Fire's battalion in Temecula, California, a community just north of Riverside County's border with San Diego County, showed Rebecca Marodi on the front lines of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, the deadliest of the state's windstorm-driven blazes in January.
A Cal Fire San Diego Benevolent Fund online drive to raise moneyfor Rebecca Marodi's family described her as a woman who "dedicated more than three decades to serving and protecting our communities with unwavering bravery, leadership, and commitment."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
15 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Trump insists riots would have ‘completely obliterated' LA without National Guard and demands Dems say ‘THANK YOU'
A lawmaker warned the chaos is the 'tip of the iceberg' LA DESTRUCTION Trump insists riots would have 'completely obliterated' LA without National Guard and demands Dems say 'THANK YOU' DONALD Trump has doubled down on his decision to send the National Guard to Los Angeles after days of unrest in the city. The president said California Governor Gavin Newsom should be thanking him for deploying the troops to protests downtown against federal immigration raids. 8 A protester jumps over a burning car with his bike in Los Angeles on Sunday Credit: The Mega Agency 8 Masked rioters wave a Mexican flag while standing on top of a burning self-driving car in Los Angeles Credit: Getty 8 LAPD officers shoot rubber bullets at protesters as they march through the streets on horseback Credit: Getty 8 A burning Waymo taxi near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles Credit: Getty However, Newsom was furious with Trump's decision to send federal service members without his permission and slammed the move as "illegal" and "immoral," as he plans to bring a lawsuit against the Trump administration over it. Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, insist that the peaceful protests turned into riots on Sunday night only in response to the National Guard showing up. But Trump said on Monday the city would be "completely obliterated" if he hadn't mobilized the Guard. "We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated," he wrote on Truth Social. "The very incompetent 'Governor,' Gavin Newscum, and 'Mayor,' Karen Bass, should be saying, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU, SIR.'" He continued, "Instead, they choose to lie to the People of California and America by saying that we weren't needed, and that these are 'peaceful protests.'" Rioters looted shops, set self-driving Waymo cars on fire, and blocked off the 101 Freeway on Sunday night after the National Guard was deployed. Cops used tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls to push back the protesters, even shooting a TV reporter with rubber bullets live on air at the terrifying scene. Newsom has asked Trump to withdraw the troops and threatened to sue the Trump administration after the president authorized 2,000 troops to storm the city. This is the first time in decades that a state's National Guard has been activated without the governor's permission, which Newsom called a "serious breach of state sovereignty." On Truth Social, Trump called for anyone hiding their identities behind masks to be arrested immediately. He added, "Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free." Now, 500 Marines are waiting in a "prepared to deploy" status at a base that sits about 142 miles east of Los Angeles. The city is bracing for more violent clashes on Monday as Trump's new travel ban comes into effect, furthering his crackdown on immigration. More than 100 people were arrested in ICE raids last week as agents targeted the city of Paramount, which has a predominantly Latino population in Los Angeles. LAPD chiefs have now voiced concerns over the use of deadly weapons by the rioters. Trump vowed to support law enforcement in the protests and said he will make sure his administration "sends whatever we need to make sure there's law and order." 8 LAPD Metropolitan Division officers clash with demonstrators Credit: Getty 8 Dozens of self-driving cars were set on fire by rioters Credit: Getty 8 Police officers take cover under an overpass on Highway 101 in downtown Los Angeles as activists lob rocks and fireworks at their vehicles Credit: Getty 8 Read our Los Angeles protests blog for the latest updates...


The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
ICE is enforcing the law. Trump is right to send National Guard
President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to restore peace in Los Angeles after protesters set fires, defaced buildings, slashed vehicle tires and hurled pieces of concrete at local police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. A Department of Homeland Security news release on June 7 noted that ICE agents - and their families - have endured a surge in threats and harassment. I've watched this violence, aimed at law enforcement officers who are attempting to uphold our nation's immigration laws, with growing anger. Read more If California is one version of America and the rest of the country is another version, I know which America I choose. It's the same one a majority of Americans also have chosen. Polls have consistently shown that voters side with Trump and other Republicans on immigration and border security, not the lawlessness and chaos that Democrats and their progressive allies promote. And to answer the question I'll inevitably get: Yes, I voted for this, and I'd vote for this again. California Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced Trump's decision to send in the National Guard as "inflammatory." That's not a good look for a governor with national ambitions. Newsom's staff hasn't helped him either. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on X a photo of demonstrators posing in front of a fire while one person waved a Mexican flag. Hegseth wrote: "Another 'mostly peaceful protest' brought to you by @GavinNewsom. DEPORT." Newsom's press office responded: "Are you going to send in the Marines the next time the Philadelphia Eagles win, too?" Comparing violent protests against federal officers enforcing the law to a Super Bowl celebration that went too far is tone death, even for the governor of California. It's important to note that ICE agents aren't arresting just anyone. The Department of Homeland Security reported that the arrests in Los Angeles included people accused of drug trafficking, assault, cruelty to children, domestic violence, robbery and the smuggling of illegal immigrants. Our nation's immigration laws must be enforced The fact that the protests broke out because the demonstrators didn't want illegal immigrants with criminal records to be arrested or deported is sad and pathetic. America is a melting pot, and our arms should be open to people who want to come to this land to live a better life. But we must follow a legal process for immigrants to enter and stay in the United States. But progressive states like California and Democratic leaders like Newsom and former President Joe Biden have ignored our immigration laws. They sent a clear message to people all over the world that the border was open, and millions took advantage of that fact to enter our country illegally. Now, it is Trump who must enforce the law and restore order, whether Gavin Newsom and the violent protesters in the streets of Los Angeles like it or not. Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter


Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Los Angeles rioters battle National Guard & cops over ICE immigration raids as Marines put on standby to tackle carnage
Horror footage captures the chaos in Los Angeles after several days of intense clashes BATTLE OF LA Los Angeles rioters battle National Guard & cops over ICE immigration raids as Marines put on standby to tackle carnage Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LOS ANGELES has faced another day of carnage with troops and armed police fiercely clashing with lawless immigration rioters. The National Guard has been called into action by a furious Donald Trump as he blasted illegal aliens and criminals for "invading and occupying" LA. 8 Masked rioters wave a Mexican flag while standing on top a burning self-driving car in Los Angeles Credit: Getty 8 Demonstrators made makeshift barricades across as they faced off with armed police Credit: Reuters 8 LAPD officers shoot rubber bullets at protesters as they march through the streets on horseback Credit: Getty 8 A protester leaps off a burning Waymo taxi near the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles Credit: Getty Violent protesters have looted shops, attacked police and vandalised cars before setting them ablaze in the middle of the street. Horrifying footage captured police trapped under a highway bridge as rioters launched fireworks and dropped heavy rocks and blocks of cement onto their patrol cars. In response, agents in riot gear unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls to push back the lawless demonstrators. Trump also ordered the National Guard to storm LA early on Sunday morning to try and restore order. But the city has continued to brace for violent clashes over the controversial ICE immigration raids. Now, 500 Marines are in a "prepared to deploy" status at a base sat just 230km east of Los Angeles. Trump vowed to make sure his administration would "send whatever we need to make sure there's law and order". The President later wrote on his Truth Social platform that "violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations". Speaking online again today the president called for anyone hiding their identities behind masks to be arrested immediately. Trump added: "Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free." 8 Members of the Los Angeles Metro Police clash with demonstrators Credit: Getty 8 Dozens of self-driving cars were set on fire by rioters Credit: Getty Tensions have escalated between police and protesters in LA after sweeping raids by ICE agents saw more than 100 immigrant arrests in the city over the past week. The confrontations mainly took place in the predominantly Latino suburb of Paramount. Police patrolled the streets on horseback while others with riot gear lined up behind Guard troops. Protesters directed chants of "shame" and "go home" at members of the National Guard, who stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields. Footage showed one demonstrator being knocked to the ground as they tried to stop an ICE vehicle, which then sped off. Elsewhere, trains were halted after protesters jumped on the tracks near an immigration detention centre. Trump's "border tsar" Homan has warned that someone could "lose their life" if the clashes continue. 8 Police officers take cover under a bridge as activists lob rocks and fireworks at their vehicles Credit: Getty 8 Thousands of National Guard troops and riot cops took to the streets armed with long guns as they attempted to disperse protestors Credit: EPA