Woman pleads guilty to murdering her wife, 20 years after killing her husband
State Citizen Security Force in Baja California
A woman has pleaded guilty to murdering her wife, a respected California fire captain, in a jealous attack partly captured on the couple’s home security camera.
Yolanda Marodi, 54, admitted to second-degree murder in San Diego Superior Court on Tuesday (4 August), over the killing of her 49-year-old wife, Rebecca “Becky” Marodi, at their home in Ramona on 17 February 2025.
The plea came as part of a deal, agreed with the victim’s family, that reduced the charge from first-degree murder. She faces 36 years to life when sentenced on 2 September.
Rebecca, a captain with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), had sought to leave the marriage shortly before she was killed.
Home security footage captured her fleeing across the patio as her wife chased her, pleading: “Yolanda! Please… I don’t want to die.”
Yolanda, allegedly holding a knife, responded: “You should have thought about that before.” Rebecca suffered 23 stab wounds and died at the scene.
Yolanda fled to Mexico less than an hour later and was arrested near a hotel in Mexicali after a 33-day manhunt. It was not the first time she had killed a spouse: her guilty plea included an admission of a prior conviction for the voluntary manslaughter of her husband more than 20 years ago.
Rebecca had served over 30 years with Cal Fire and was remembered fondly by colleagues, one recalling that “she always had a smile”.
