A quiet community was rocked by violence after a hometown hero was attacked and killed in her own home in Ramona. Cal Fire Capt. Rebecca Marodi was found stabbed to death. NBC 7’s Dave Summers tells us more about her life, career and the search for her killer.
Latest update: Investigators identify at-large suspect in killing of Cal Fire captain in Ramona
Investigators suspect the Cal Fire captain whose body was found in a Ramona home on Monday night knew her killer and "are treating this case as a potential domestic violence incident."
San Diego County Sheriff's deputies said they were called around 9 p.m. to a report of an assault at the home. The woman, identified by a family member as Capt. Rebecca "Becky" Marodi, 49, was found with multiple stab wounds at her house in the 20200 block of Rancho Villa Road.
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First responders attempted to resuscitate Marodi, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Currently, the motivation and circumstances surrounding the homicide remain unclear, and detectives are diligently gathering more information to establish the facts of the case," the sheriff's department said in a news release issued on Tuesday afternoon.
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Investigators have not explained how Marodi may have known her killer.
Marodi's body was draped in the American flag and escorted by Riverside firefighters on each side of the gurney, as she was removed from her home. A procession of fire engines and trucks led her away to the medical examiner's office late Tuesday afternoon.
According to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, Marodi dedicated more than 30 years to the fire service, starting in 1993 as a volunteer firefighter in Moreno Valley. She was a seasonal firefighter in San Bernardino and Riverside from 1994 to 2000 and became a full-time firefighter in 2000. Marodi was promoted to fire apparatus engineer in 2007 and to captain in 2022.
A recent Instagram post shows Marodi on the front lines of the Eaton Fire with Cal Fire Riverside's Engine Company 83. A post from Riverside County's Hazmat team in December 2022 congratulated Marodi on her recent promotion.
She is remembered as a mentor, deeply involved in peer support and always prioritizing the wellbeing of her colleagues, fire officials said.
"Her passing is a profound loss to her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside her," Cal Fire said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Riverside County Fire Department Station 68 in Menifee posted on Facebook that, "With a heavy heart we mourn the passing of Fire Captain Becky Marodi.''
At about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Cal Fire issued the following statement:
Despite her apparent violent death, neighbors close by did not hear a struggle.
“We’ve never had an incident like that, except for the fires we had in '03 and '07, but never had anything like that because our neighborhood is basically calm, cool and collected," neighbor Monika Evans said.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330 or report anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
