A Venezuelan national with Spanish citizenship, identified as Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, 36, has been charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of Todd Stewart, 68, outside Stewart's Martinez, California home on August 6. Court documents indicate the alleged crime occurred during a botched residential burglary.
Iriarte-Valdez faces life in prison for the death of Stewart, a father of two who had lived in the neighborhood for over 30 years. Prosecutors allege that Iriarte-Valdez stabbed Stewart to death with a knife while committing the burglary. He faces additional enhancements to the murder charge for allegedly using a knife during the burglary and for being out on conditional release at the time of the incident.
Surveillance footage captured the attack, showing Iriarte-Valdez arriving at Stewart's residence in a Cadillac SUV, parking, and then allegedly confronting Stewart. The footage appears to show the two men struggling before Stewart falls to the ground, after which the alleged stabbing continued. Stewart was pronounced dead at the scene.
Martinez police arrested Iriarte-Valdez at his home on Friday night, using surveillance and physical evidence. He was arraigned Wednesday in Contra Costa Superior Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Judge David Goldstein ordered Iriarte-Valdez held without bail, describing him as a "risk to public safety."
Adding a layer of complexity to the case, court documents reveal that Iriarte-Valdez had been released from jail only the day before the alleged killing. He had been granted pretrial release by Judge Nichelle Holmes after being jailed the previous Tuesday for allegedly violating the terms of his home detention monitoring in a separate residential burglary case. California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Holmes to the Contra Costa Superior Court in 2024.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Iriarte-Valdez is an "illegal alien" from Venezuela. The department urged Governor Newsom to hold Iriarte-Valdez in custody and turn him over for removal from the U.S., criticizing "sanctuary politicians" for allegedly putting politics above public safety.
Tom Homan, identified as Trump's border czar, also criticized Governor Newsom and California's sanctuary laws in the wake of Stewart's alleged murder. Neighbors and friends described Stewart as a mild-mannered and helpful individual.
Iriarte-Valdez is due back in court on September 9 for a scheduling hearing. He has reportedly been in the U.S. since 2007.