Murder Charge Filed Against Man Suspected In Stabbing After Being Released For Burglary

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — A man suspected of fatally stabbing a 68-year-old homeowner just days after being released from custody in a burglary case now faces a murder charge, according to Contra Costa County authorities.

Prosecutors suspect Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, 36, stabbed Todd Stewart to death in his Martinez home while fleeing another attempted burglary.

Iriarte-Valdez was also on pretrial release for two residential burglaries that happened April 29 in Orinda while residents were home, according to Martinez police.

Police said Iriarte-Valdez was taken into custody Aug. 4 for allegedly violating a home-detention monitoring rule.

A judge ordered him released on his own recognizance Aug. 5 and returned him to home detention, according to Martinez police.

Then, on Aug. 6, a man wearing a tactical vest, black gloves, sunglasses, and a hat stabbed Stewart near Stewart's house on Francis Court home just after 5 p.m., the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing Martinez police. Stewart was pronounced dead outside the home.

Surveillance video obtained by KTVU showed Stewart screaming for help and fighting with his attacker. The assailant fled in a gray Cadillac SUV, prompting a manhunt, according to the Chronicle.

Investigators eventually identified a license plate connected to the case and located the vehicle in the 1600 block of Ashwood Drive in Martinez, police said. Officers watched the vehicle and suspect as detectives continued gathering evidence.

Police identified Iriarte-Valdez, who lived in the same block where the vehicle was found, as the suspect.

Detectives obtained warrants to arrest Iriarte-Valdez and search his home and vehicle. The Central County SWAT team took him into custody around 6:23 p.m. on Aug. 7, according to Martinez police.

On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office charged Iriarte-Valdez with murder in Stewart's death.

Prosecutors also filed a special-circumstance allegation, accusing Iriarte-Valdez of killing Stewart while fleeing an attempted burglary.

The murder charge came as Iriarte-Valdez still faced cases stemming from two alleged burglaries April 29 in the Orinda Downs neighborhood, according to KTVU.

An 83-year-old woman told KTVU that a man entered her garage, stole a laptop, and ate some food. That same day, another woman who lived a few doors away allegedly spotted the man trying to enter her home.

"She was in the back of her house, I think, and saw the reflection in her bathroom," the 83-year-old woman told KTVU of her neighbor. "She saw this man trying to get into her back door."

KTVU reported Tuesday that Iriarte-Valdez was scheduled to be arraigned today on the murder charge. His Orinda burglary cases remained pending.

Police said the homicide investigation remains ongoing and that details could change as detectives interview additional people and analyze evidence.