Mexican authorities on Saturday arrested the woman suspected in the alleged stabbing death of her spouse, a Cal Fire captain killed in her Ramona home, culminating a five–week, bi-national manhunt. Agents from Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana, known as FESC, in Baja California said they appre hended Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi near a hotel in the Ferrocarril neighborhood of Mexicali. Marodi was later released to U.S. Marshals. According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the 53-year-old was being processed and was to be booked on suspicion of murder. As of late Sunday afternoon, it was unclear where Marodi was being held. Her name could not be found in the sheriff’s online jail database. Marodi released to US Marshalls at the Calexico US/Mexico border. Handout: Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana de Baja California Last month, an arrest warrant was filed in El Cajon Superior Court for Marodi in connection with the fatal attack on her wife, 49-year-old Rebecca Marodi, who worked at Cal Fire for more than 30 years. The victim was found in her home Feb. 17 with multiple stab wounds and lacerations less than an hour after Marodi was allegedly seen departing the residence. Investigators said the pair had been married for about two years. According to the warrant affidavit, video from a home doorbell camera allegedly showed Rebecca Marodi being chased by Yolanda Marodi at 8 p.m. on Feb. 17. “Yolanda! Please! (I) don’t want to die,” she can allegedly be heard saying in the video before appearing on camera with what appeared to be blood on her back. “You should have thought about that before,” Yolanda Marodi, 53, allegedly said. According to the affidavit, footage showed Yolanda standing in front of Rebecca allegedly holding a knife, telling her to enter the house. Rebecca Marodi suffered injuries to her neck, chest and back and was found by her mother who lives in an accessory dwelling unit on the property, sheriff’s officials said. Deputies and emergency fire personnel attempted life-saving measures but she died before she could be taken to a hospital. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Yolanda Marodi was seen entering Mexico just after 9:15 p.m., according to the affidavit. Yolanda “N” held in custody in Baja California Mexico. (Courtesy of Secretaria De Seguridad Ciudadana de Baja California) The following day, according to the affidavit, Yolanda Marodi texted a “known associate” regarding the incident. “Rebecca came home and told me she was leaving me,” Yolanda said. “We had a big fight and I hurt her … I’m sorry.” Previously, Yolanda Marodi was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and served 13 years in prison in connection with the stabbing death of her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak, in San Bernardino County in 2000. She was released in 2013 and moved to parole supervision. Fire Capt. Rebecca Marodi. (Image courtesy Cal Fire San Diego Benevolent Fund) Rebecca Marodi’s firefighting career began as a volunteer firefighter in 1993 in Moreno Valley. She attained the rank of captain in 2022 and most recently worked out of a station in French Valley in Riverside County. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department officials issued a statement Sunday acknowledging the arrest and thanking “our law enforcement partners in San Diego and Mexico for their hard work. Becky was a beloved member of our community and Department, and we miss her greatly.” A fundraiser set up to assist her family has raised more than $29,000 as of Sunday. The post from Cal Fire San Diego Benevolent Fund says Marodi “dedicated more than three decades to serving and protecting our communities with unwavering bravery, leadership, and commitment.” “She was not just a respected leader and mentor — she was a beloved member of the CAL FIRE family,” the post states, adding that Marodi was the primary caregiver for her 77-year-old mother. The Litas San Diego, an all-female motorcycle collective, organized a memorial ride on March 16 to honor Marodi, who was a member of the group. More than 200 people took part in the event that saw motorcyclists travel from Hillcrest in downtown San Diego through Ramona and into the unincorporated town of Wynola. ...read more read less