RIVERSIDE — The Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department on Sunday continued to mourn the death of Cal Fire Capt. Rebecca Marodi; and said a fund was established to help her surviving family.
“We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support during this difficult time as we mourn the loss of our beloved Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi,” Cal Fire/Riverside said on social media.
Marodi, who was 49 years old, was found fatally stabbed Monday, Feb. 17, in Ramona. Her 53-year-old wife, Yolanda Marodi, also known as Yolanda Olejniczak, has been named a suspect by investigators at the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
Marodi was a captain at Cal Fire/Riverside’s French Valley Fire Station 83 near Murrieta.
A Cal Fire/Riverside statement said she “was deeply involved in Peer Support and Hazmat, always prioritizing the well-being of her colleagues.”
“Her legacy of mentorship, service and dedication will be felt for years to come,” Cal Fire/Riverside said.
“Marodi dedicated more than three decades to serving and protecting our communities with unwavering bravery, leadership and commitment,” the Cal Fire San Diego Benevolent Fund said in a statement.
Marodi’s service began in 1993 as a volunteer firefighter in Moreno Valley. She went on to serve as a seasonal firefighter in Riverside and San Bernardino counties before promoting to fire apparatus engineer in 2007 and achieving the rank of captain in 2022.
Marodi was the primary caregiver of her 77-year-old mother, who lived with her in Ramona. Her sudden passing left her family facing immense grief and uncertainty, the Cal Fire San Diego Benevolent Fund stated.
Donations to help Marodi’s family can be made at www.zeffy.com/en-US/fundraising/fire-captain-rebecca-marodi-fundraiser
City News Service contributed to this story.
