'Illegal Alien' Released From Custody One Day Before Allegedly Stabbing Father of Two to Death

A 68-year-old father of two was allegedly stabbed to death outside his California home just one day after a judge released the man now accused of killing him, whom the US Department of Homeland Security has described as an 'illegal alien'.

Prosecutors say 36-year-old Marcos Eduardo Iriarte-Valdez, already facing felony burglary charges, was freed on 5 August and that Todd Stewart was killed the following afternoon during an attempted home burglary in Martinez.

Marcos Eduardo Iriarte-Valdez, 36, was already facing felony burglary charges when a Contra Costa County judge released him on Aug. 5, according to court records cited by local reporting. Prosecutors allege he killed Todd Stewart the following afternoon during an attempted home burglary in Martinez.

The one-day gap between Iriarte-Valdez's release and Stewart's death has become a central feature of the case. Iriarte-Valdez was arrested again on Aug. 7 and has since pleaded not guilty to murder with a special-circumstance allegation tied to burglary.

Father of Two Killed Outside His Home

Police say Stewart was killed shortly after 5 p.m. on Aug. 6 outside his home on Francis Court in Martinez. Prosecutors allege Iriarte-Valdez was attempting to burglarize the property when Stewart confronted him, leading to the fatal stabbing.

Surveillance video captured the confrontation, according to authorities and local reporting. Iriarte-Valdez allegedly fled the scene in a Cadillac SUV after the attack.

A SWAT team arrested him at his home the following evening, according to police reporting. Stewart was a retired engineer who had lived in Martinez for decades. The case has drawn attention because of the killing and the events that preceded it.

Suspect Was Already Facing Burglary Charges

Iriarte-Valdez had been charged in connection with residential burglaries in Orinda in April. Court records show he was initially released in May, then brought back before a judge after authorities alleged he had violated a home-detention requirement. A judge released him again on Aug. 5, one day before Stewart was killed.

The circumstances of that release are now part of the wider scrutiny surrounding the case. The subsequent murder allegation does not establish that the earlier court decision caused Stewart's death, and Iriarte-Valdez remains presumed innocent unless convicted.

Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said prosecutors would pursue the case against him. 'Our office will pursue this case with diligence and integrity to hold Iriarte-Valdez fully accountable under the law for this devastating act of violence,' Becton said.

Judge Calls Suspect a Public Safety Risk

Iriarte-Valdez appeared in court on Aug. 12 and pleaded not guilty. Judge David Goldstein ordered him held without bail after describing him as a 'risk to public safety', according to the District Attorney's Office.

He faces a murder charge with a special-circumstance allegation that the killing occurred during a burglary.

If the special circumstance is proven, the charge could expose him to life imprisonment without parole, according to the District Attorney's Office. The case is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 1 for further proceedings.

DHS Labels Him an 'Illegal Alien'

The Department of Homeland Security has separately entered the case, publicly describing Iriarte-Valdez as an 'illegal alien' from Venezuela. The agency has also said he holds Spanish citizenship and criticised California's sanctuary policies in connection with the case.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer was lodged after his arrest, according to reporting on the federal response. That distinction is separate from the murder case, which is being prosecuted in California state court.

Monitoring Decisions Under Scrutiny

Iriarte-Valdez's earlier release involved home detention conditions, according to court records cited by local news organisations. Reporting indicates that he was taken into custody on Aug. 4 over an alleged violation and then released the next day.

Electronic monitoring was reportedly not fitted again until after Stewart's killing, although details of the monitoring arrangements are part of the continuing scrutiny of the case. The chronology is now clear from the public record: an existing burglary case, an alleged monitoring violation, a release on Aug. 5 and a fatal stabbing allegation on Aug. 6.

The murder prosecution does not establish that the earlier burglary allegations or monitoring violation predicted the later killing.

Family and Community Await the Case

Stewart was a husband and father of two, according to local reporting. Authorities say there was no known prior relationship between him and Iriarte-Valdez, and the alleged attack occurred during an attempted residential burglary rather than a dispute between the two men.

The suspect is being held without bail as the case moves through the California courts. The next scheduled hearing is Sept. 1, when a preliminary hearing date is expected to be set.