Federal authorities are searching for a California woman in connection to the fatal stabbing of her wife, Cal Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi.
The 49-year-old was found with multiple stab wounds at the couple's home in Ramona, just northeast of San Diego, on Feb. 17 after her mother called 911 and reported the deadly assault. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her wife, 53-year-old Yolanda Marodi who also goes by Yolanda Olejniczak, previously served time in prison after admitting to fatally stabbing her then-husband about two decades ago.
Now, authorities are on the hunt for Yolanda whose silver Chevrolet Equinox was last seen entering Mexico, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by the Scripps News Group in San Diego, Rebecca reportedly told Yolanda a week before she was killed that she was ending their 2-year marriage.
Rebecca's mother provided the San Diego County Sheriff's Office with video captured by a Ring camera on the night of the fatal stabbing.
In it, detectives saw two people, believed to be Rebecca and Yolanda, running across the home's patio. A voice, believed to be Rebecca, is heard yelling out, "Yolanda! Please ... I don't want to die!"
Rebecca then appears in the video with what looks like blood on her back. Another voice believed to be Yolanda's replied, "You should have thought of that before."
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The two entered the home and Rebecca is not seen again in the footage. However, Yolanda was later seen wearing different clothes while gathering luggage to load into her car.
The arrest warrant also stated that a known associate of Yolanda's received a text message from her after the killing that said, "We had a big fight and I hurt her ... I'm sorry."
Within hours, the vehicle with California license plate 8BQJ420 was seen at the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexican authorities have been notified, officials said.
According to the sheriff’s office, Yolanda is 5 feet 2 inches tall, has brown hair and has tattoos on both her upper right and left arms. She's believed to be traveling with a small, white dog.
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Rebecca, who was called Becky by those who knew her, worked for Cal Fire for more than 30 years and was planning to retire later this year.
A spokesperson for the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office confirmed that Yolanda was previously charged with an October 2000 murder in the county. The criminal complaint in that case states the victim was James Joseph Olejniczak — Yolanda's husband at the time.
She pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2003 and was imprisoned from February 2004 until November 2013.
This story was originally published by the Scripps News Group.
