Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi, who killed her wife, Cal Fire Capt. Rebecca Marodi, is sentenced to 36 years to life

EL CAJON, Calif. (CNS) -- A woman who fatally stabbed her wife , a veteran state firefighter, at their San Diego County home was sentenced Wednesday to 36 years to life in state prison. Yolanda Marodi , 54, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the slaying of her spouse of two years, 49-year-old Cal Fire Capt. Rebecca "Becky" Marodi, at the couple's Rancho Villa Road home on the night of Feb. Marodi also admitted to having a serious prior felony conviction for voluntary manslaughter, for which she was sentenced to prison for fatally stabbing her husband in San Bernardino County more than 20 years ago. Her plea also includes a waiver of her right to appeal the 36-years-to-life prison term.

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Scoop News DeskSan Diego, California · Published Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 2:51 PM UTCUpdated Friday, September 4, 2026 at 9:58 AM UTC

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According to an arrest-warrant declaration filed by a detective with the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, Rebecca Marodi sought to leave the marriage shortly before she was killed. Rebecca Marodi, who had worked for the state firefighting agency for more than 30 years, died at the scene. Mexican authorities arrested her just over a month later near a hotel in the Ferrocarril neighborhood of Mexicali, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.

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