Rebecca Marodi’s wife, Yolanda, was arraigned on a murder charge on Wednesday in East County superior court, reports NBC 7’s Allison Ash.
“First time I met her she didn’t look me in the eyes,” recalled Lorena Marodi, as she spoke about the woman accused of killing her daughter. “That bugged me, and so I wasn’t fond of her the rest of the time.”
Five weeks after the murder of Cal Fire Capt. Rebecca "Becky" Marodi, her mother is finally talking about the months leading up to her murder and the woman who’s accused of stabbing her to death on Feb. 17. She is 53-year-old Yolanda Marodi, who was married to Becky for about two years.
Cal Fire captain killed in her Ramona home
Lorena said she knew something was off the evening her daughter was killed when she was out with friends in Ramona when she got a text message from Yolanda that read, “Becky is home. She’s eaten. I made her dinner and she’s resting.”
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“I said, 'OK, thank you for the update,”' Lorena said. “I thought it was odd for her to reach out to me, to give me comfort.”
Lorena admitted she and Yolanda never liked each other, although she said she tried to get along with her daughter-in-law for Becky’s sake.
Lorena, who lives in a house on Becky’s Ramona property, came home around 9 p.m. the night of the killing. She thought it was odd that Yolanda’s car was gone and all the lights were out at the house the couple shared, so she went over to check on her daughter. That was when she saw pools of blood on the back patio. Inside the house, she found the lifeless body of her daughter.
The grieving mom said she called 911, but Becky was pronounced dead at the scene.
“I try to keep that image out of my mind as much as possible, because I’m not ready to give up yet," Lorena said. "I’ve got a big fight yet.”
Cal Fire captain killed in her Ramona home
Lorena told NBC7 she believes her daughter was “injected with something,” because Becky was “solid muscle” and knew how to handle herself. Lorena believes her daughter was drugged and incapable of fighting off her attacker. Law enforcement is not confirming nor denying that claim.
Becky knew about Yolanda’s previous conviction in the stabbing death of her ex-husband in Riverside in 2000, according to Lorena.
“Becky wouldn’t tell me everything,” Lorena said, adding that Becky praised Yolanda for turning herself in and later turning her life around.
After Becky’s murder, her mother learned the truth about Yolanda’s conviction.
“That was pre-meditated, this was pre-meditated," Lorena said. "I don’t know how they can’t find her guilty."
Lorena is thankful to investigators from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Homicide Unit.
“They were bulldogs” Lorena said, working hard to bring her daughter’s accused killer to justice.
The Ramona resident is also thankful for Becky’s friends who have become like family to her.
“I’ve gained family —I’ve gained a lot of family," Lorena said. "It’s like Becky had created this family for me and said, 'Here you go, Mom. They’re gonna take care of you.' ”
Lorena plans to be in the courtroom to watch every step of Yolanda’s murder case, including her arraignment on Wednesday in a superior courtroom in East County. She told NBC 7 that she hopes Yolanda goes away for a long time.
“Originally, I was saying, 'She got both of us — she took my baby. She got both of us,' " Lorena said. "And now I look at Becky’s picture, and I say, 'I’m not giving up, baby. I’m not giving up. I’m gonna keep my anger to the end. Until we get her behind bars for good.”
