A California judge freed an illegal immigrant on his own recognizance one day before he allegedly murdered a 68-year-old retiree.
Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, 38, was already facing burglary charges when a Contra Costa County judge cut him loose on a Wednesday after he was picked up for reportedly violating his home detention conditions. By Thursday, prosecutors say he had fatally stabbed Todd Stewart, a longtime Martinez resident who had called the neighborhood home for roughly four decades, according to reports.
Here is how it allegedly went down. Prosecutors say Iriarte-Valdez slipped into Stewart's garage while attempting yet another break-in. Stewart caught the suspect and confronted him outside the residence. Authorities claim Iriarte-Valdez tried to run before turning around and plunging a knife into the retired man, killing him.
Investigators tracked down Iriarte-Valdez two days later on a Friday using automated license plate reader technology and tips from local residents. He entered a not guilty plea and is currently sitting behind bars with no bail.
The charges stacking up against this guy are absolutely staggering. Contra Costa County prosecutors hit him with murder, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, three separate burglary counts, receiving stolen property, trespassing, unlawful entry into a residence, loitering, and violating a court protective order. On top of all that, prosecutors tacked on three sentencing enhancements alleging the killing happened during or right after a burglary, that he personally wielded a knife, and that the entire crime took place while he was on pretrial release.
The domestic violence charge involving a spouse has not been publicly explained in detail, and no separate incident has been identified in available records.
One of the earlier burglary victims painted a terrifying picture for local media. The man told KTVU that his 83-year-old wife spotted an intruder inside their home during an April break-in after she noticed the suspect's reflection and screamed.
The Department of Homeland Security slapped an immigration detainer on Iriarte-Valdez on September 23, 2025, and then publicly called on Governor Gavin Newsom to hand the suspect over to federal authorities for deportation proceedings. DHS posted online demanding that Newsom not release the suspect and instead transfer him so they can remove him from the country.
A DHS official told Fox News that immigration detainers represent the safest method for apprehending and removing criminal illegal aliens. The official also took a shot at sanctuary policies, stating that when cities refuse to cooperate with ICE, dangerous individuals get released back into communities where they can commit additional crimes. The official noted that seven of the ten safest cities in America work with ICE.
District Attorney Diana Becton's office, the Martinez Police Department, and the Contra Costa County Superior Court all declined to respond to comment requests.
This case lays bare a system where a man with active burglary charges involving occupied homes got released without bail, only to allegedly take someone's life less than 24 hours later. Todd Stewart survived four decades in his neighborhood, only to lose everything because a judge decided this suspect was safe to walk free.
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