Martinez man accused of fatally stabbing 68-year-old during attempted burglary denied bail

By CBS Bay Area

A Martinez man accused of fatally stabbing a 68-year-old man during an attempted burglary appeared in court Wednesday, where a judge denied him bail and prosecutors said he could face life in prison if convicted.

Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, 36, pleaded not guilty through his attorney to charges stemming from the fatal stabbing of Todd Stewart at Stewart’s Martinez home.

Iriarte-Valdez appeared stoic during the hearing as his attorney entered the plea on his behalf.

Prosecutors allege Stewart was killed during an attempted burglary at his home. Former Santa Clara County District Attorney and current legal analyst Steven Clark said investigators appear to believe there was no prior connection between the two men.

“There’s no known link between the defendant, it appears to be a pure crime of opportunity,” Clark said.

Authorities arrested Iriarte-Valdez Friday evening during a SWAT operation at his Martinez home. Outside the property this week, evidence markers remained near the home, along with a damaged front gate.

Clark described Iriarte-Valdez as someone who appears to have been involved in a pattern of burglaries.

“This is someone who appears to be a serial burglar, and who was then caught by the victim, and you had that altercation resulting in a death,” Clark said.

The charges include a special-circumstance allegation tied to felony murder. If convicted, Iriarte-Valdez could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Court records show Iriarte-Valdez had been released from jail just one day before Stewart was killed, despite allegedly violating the terms of his home detention. He had also previously been accused of targeting two homes in Orinda for burglary in April.

“It wasn’t lost on the court that this man violated pretrial release,” Clark said.

A judge ultimately denied bail, saying Iriarte-Valdez presents a danger to the public.

The suspect’s Martinez home was also listed for sale. The property’s listing agent told CBS News Bay Area that Iriarte-Valdez had mentioned experiencing financial problems and that the home appeared to be headed toward foreclosure.

Court records also show a woman obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Iriarte-Valdez early last year and that he was later accused of violating it.

The circumstances surrounding his release shortly before Stewart’s death have sparked anger among some neighbors.

“I absolutely think this could have been prevented,” one neighbor said.

Clark said the case is likely to renew questions about how courts weigh public safety when deciding whether to release defendants before trial.

“Many people feel that the system let the victim down,” Clark said. “I think what you’re looking at now is people are questioning some of these pretrial release decisions… is public safety given enough weight in that decision? And should judges be more careful in giving someone a second chance, particularly on serious felony cases?” he said.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Iriarte-Valdez was admitted into the United States “legally” from Venezuela nearly two decades ago. Following his arrest on the murder charges, DHS placed an immigration detainer on him, which the agency described as the “safest way to arrest and remove” him.

Iriarte-Valdez waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing. He is scheduled to return to a Richmond courtroom on Sept. 1.