Released 1 Day Earlier, Suspect Fatally Stabs 68-Year-Old California Man

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 17

Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, 36, is accused of fatally stabbing 68-year-old Todd Stewart on Aug. 6 outside Stewart’s Martinez home during an apparent burglary attempt.
1 day earlier, a judge had released Iriarte-Valdez on his own recognizance after an Aug. 4 arrest for allegedly violating home detention tied to earlier felony burglary charges.
Records cited in the report say he had entered the U.S. illegally and had an extensive prior record in Orinda, fueling criticism that the killing was preventable.
A Contra Costa County SWAT team arrested him the next day; bail was first set at $1.1 million before a judge later ordered him held without bail on homicide charges.
Victoria, a friend of Stewart, said California’s judicial system failed the family and community, using the case to press for tougher handling of repeat offenders.