California Woman Pleads Guilty to Killing Wife After Fleeing to Mexico, Previously Served Time for Husband's Death
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A California woman who previously served prison time for killing her husband has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of her wife, a Cal Fire captain she fatally stabbed in their Ramona home last year.
Fifty-four-year-old Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi pleaded guilty to stabbing Rebecca Marodi to death in their home in February 2025. At the time, the couple had been married for two years. Rebecca was fatally attacked after telling Yolanda she wanted a divorce.
In a text message to a friend, Yolanda allegedly wrote that she had "hurt" Rebecca during what she described as a "big fight."
Rebecca's body was discovered on February 17, 2025, by her mother, who called authorities to report an assault with a deadly weapon.
The victim suffered stab wounds to her neck, chest and abdomen. Despite attempts by emergency personnel to save her life, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy determined that Rebecca died from sharp-force injuries and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
According to The Coast News, detectives recovered security footage from the couple's home in the 20200 block of Rancho Villa Road in Ramona. The footage showed Rebecca running from the property and screaming, "Yolanda! Please! I don't want to die!" Yolanda reportedly replied, "You should have thought of that before," and appeared on the footage with a knife in her hand and her arms covered in blood. The footage was captured before 8 p.m. on the night of the murder.
The Coast News also reported that Rebecca asked Yolanda multiple times to call 911 for help.
Afterward, Yolanda was seen packing an SUV with luggage, other belongings, and her pets. About an hour and 15 minutes later, investigators determined that she had crossed the border into Mexico.
She was apprehended in March 2025, 33 days after fleeing the United States, near a hotel on Fresnillo Avenue in Mexicali.
Investigators discovered that Yolanda had previously served time in prison for the 2000 killing of her husband, James Joseph Olejniczak Jr., in San Bernardino County. She was sentenced in 2004 after pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, and was released in 2013.
Yolanda and Jim had been estranged for some time, and FOX 5 reported that they shared children. Jim was serving in the Marines and was stationed at Camp Pendleton when he was killed.
Jim's mother, Nancy Hayworth, recently told ABC 10 News that Yolanda frightened her. She described Yolanda as immature at times and said she did not seem happy unless she had everyone's attention.
Hayworth also said that Jim had met another woman during the divorce process and was murdered less than six months after filing for divorce.
A friend of Rebecca's, Andrea Winter, told The Guardian that Rebecca was charismatic and well-liked by those around her. She described her as kind and said she "paid the price for trusting the wrong person." Winter also described Yolanda as jealous.
Another friend said Rebecca was a caring person who was passionate about helping both people and animals. She also owned a horse sanctuary that took in rescue horses.
Rebecca's friend Vikki Conner told FOX 5 that she had no idea Yolanda had previously spent time in prison or that she had killed her ex-husband. She said she was especially shocked by Yolanda's criminal history because Yolanda worked in physical therapy and handled people's information while working as a receptionist at a business in the area.
Yolanda's sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2026, and she faces 36 years to life in prison.
