A man suspected of fatally stabbing an elderly resident in front of his Bay Area home shortly after being released from prison has been revealed as an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela.
Marcos Iriarte Valdez, 36, is accused of killing 68-year-old Todd Stewart in the front yard of Stewart’s home last week, with disturbing surveillance footage from the incident now available.
The Department of Homeland Security has identified Iriarte Valdez as a “Venezuelan illegal alien” involved in a crime committed in California.
In a post on X, authorities called on Governor Gavin Newsom to prevent the release of individuals like Iriarte Valdez, emphasizing the need for action to remove him from the country.
Iriarte Valdez had a prior criminal record and was already on pretrial release for a residential burglary case when he was detained last Tuesday for allegedly breaching the terms of his home detention.
The following day, a judge from Contra Costa County released him again on his own recognizance, putting him back on home detention. This was just hours before Stewart’s tragic death.
He had been awaiting trial for a home robbery that occurred in April. Police Chief Andrew White mentioned that it seems Iriarte Valdez was not even fitted with the required home detention monitoring equipment until the day after Stewart’s death.
The suspect was arrested on Friday night at his residence on Ashwood Drive and is currently being held on a bail of $1.1 million.
Investigators determined that there was no known relationship between Iriarte Valdez and Stewart. Neighbors expressed their shock at the violent incident, recalling how Stewart had been busy with a project in his garage before the attack.
One neighbor, Galina Pasternak, reflected on the tragedy, saying that Stewart’s family had lost their father and husband just as they were looking forward to spending more time together in retirement.
Using a mix of surveillance footage, automatic license plate recognition, and community tips, police were able to identify and locate Iriarte Valdez’s vehicle, leading to his subsequent arrest without any issues.
His previous criminal history includes an October 2025 arrest for DUI and property damage involving a hit-and-run. Following the alleged murder, charges of murder and a related felony offense have been filed against Iriarte Valdez.
