A California judge appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom reportedly allowed a man with a criminal record to walk free just one day before he allegedly stabbed a 68-year-old retiree to death in his own front yard.
Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Nichelle Holmes, who was appointed to the bench by Newsom in 2024, granted pretrial release to Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, 36, according to court documents. Iriarte-Valdez, a Venezuelan national who also holds Spanish citizenship, had been in the U. S.
since 2007 and was already facing a residential burglary charge.
He was taken into custody last Tuesday for allegedly violating the terms of his home detention monitoring, but Holmes reportedly let him go again. Less than 24 hours later, authorities say, Iriarte-Valdez attacked Todd Stewart outside his Martinez home.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows Iriarte-Valdez pulling up in a Cadillac SUV, wearing dark jeans, a gray shirt, and a protective vest. He allegedly got out and began stabbing Stewart during a struggle on the sidewalk. The victim, a father of two and longtime neighborhood resident, was pronounced dead at the scene despite paramedics’ efforts.
Holmes, a former deputy district attorney, once described her work as a form of protest in a 2017 profile published by her law school. “Justice does not always mean a prison sentence,” she said at the time. “Sometimes it means a treatment program, or intensive counseling, and sometimes it means a dismissal.”
Police arrested Iriarte-Valdez Friday night at his home. He is now being held on $1.1 million bail as detectives investigate what led to the attack and whether the two men knew each other.
The Department of Homeland Security called Iriarte-Valdez a “Venezuelan illegal alien” and urged Newsom not to release him again, posting on X: “Sanctuary politicians must stop putting politics above public safety.”
Neighbors described Stewart as mild-mannered and helpful. One friend said, “I look across the street, and I expect him to come out and wave.”
Holmes did not respond to requests for comment. With the case now sparking outrage, many are left wondering—how did this happen, and will there be any accountability?
