California Dad Accused of Stabbing Wife to Death as Three Children Reportedly Witnessed Part of Attack

California prosecutors accuse Thomas John Iovenitti of fatally stabbing his wife, Alisha Iovenitti, at their Concord home on 23 October 2026. He was free on $1,000 bail (about £750) while an earlier domestic violence case involving her was still pending.

A judge had set bail on 19 May over the objections of the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office. The court also barred Iovenitti, 40, from contacting Alisha, 39, or returning to the home they shared with their three children.

Authorities believe the children witnessed part of the attack, The Mercury News reported. A GoFundMe appeal has raised more than $77,000 (£57,493) for the siblings, nine-year-old twins and their 10-year-old brother.

A 911 Call on the Night of the Stabbing

On the evening of Friday 23 October, a 911 caller described a disturbance between a man and a woman at a house in the 2300 block of Panoramic Drive. In their account of the call, Concord police stated, 'The man was reported to be armed with a knife.'

Officers tried several times to reach the people inside. When nobody answered, they forced their way in and found both Alisha and her husband with stab wounds.

Alisha was pronounced dead at the house despite efforts to save her. Her husband was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The Stabbing Case Reaches Back to May

The district attorney's office filed the murder charge and three other felony counts on 27 October. One of those counts accuses Iovenitti of dissuading a witness from reporting a crime on 23 October, the day Alisha died.

The other two felony counts concern an alleged incident on 9 May. Prosecutors accuse Iovenitti of assault with a deadly weapon, which they identify as a knife, and corporal injury to a spouse. The May case included both allegations as well as charges of false imprisonment and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury.

Four misdemeanour counts allege child endangerment. Prosecutors link three to the night of the stabbing and one to 9 May. A fifth misdemeanour count accuses Iovenitti of violating a court order.

When prosecutors announced the new charges, Iovenitti was being held without bail at the Martinez Detention Facility. They listed his arraignment for 28 October at the Contra Costa County Superior Court Annex in Martinez. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 29 years to life in prison.

After the Concord Stabbing, a Fund for Three Children

Jennifer Curry, who launched the GoFundMe appeal on 3 November, named the children's grandmother, their aunt and Alisha's best friend among those caring for them. Together, they are arranging counselling and trying to give the children a stable home and a familiar routine.

Alisha's daughter loves art and rhythm, and both her sons play baseball. Curry wrote, 'Alisha filled their lives with sports, friends, and community. We want to protect that for them.'

The parents' savings were gone when the appeal began, according to Curry. A trustee will manage the donations on the children's behalf. The money will cover housing and medical care as well as food, clothes and transport. A share will go into a long-term fund for their education.