Story perspectives

DA Files Felony Murder Charge After Todd Stewart Killing

8/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

Judge Nichelle Holmes released Marcos Iriarte-Valdez on Aug. 5, 2024.
Marcos Iriarte-Valdez killed Todd Stewart on Aug. 6, 2024.
Assemblymember David Tangipa said the murder was 100% preventable and blamed Governor Gavin Newsom’s sanctuary laws.
District Attorney Diane Becton filed a felony murder charge against Marcos Iriarte-Valdez.
Judge David Goldstein ordered Marcos Iriarte-Valdez held without bail, with a $1.1 million bail, and scheduled a hearing for Sept. 1 before Judge Michael Nieto.

History

Historical Context

Emerging in the early 1980s, the sanctuary movement led cities like Los Angeles (1979) to limit cooperation with immigration authorities. San Francisco’s 1985 ordinance prohibited city funds for federal enforcement, and California’s 2017 SB 54 made the state a sanctuary. Assemblymember David Tangipa now cites those laws in the August 2024 release of Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, reviving the safety-versus-protection debate; by 2018 over 560 jurisdictions identified as sanctuaries.

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Story summary

Judge Nichelle Holmes released Marcos Iriarte-Valdez on Aug. 5, 2024.
Marcos Iriarte-Valdez killed Todd Stewart on Aug. 6, 2024.
Assemblymember David Tangipa said the murder was 100% preventable and blamed Governor Gavin Newsom’s sanctuary laws.
District Attorney Diane Becton filed a felony murder charge against Marcos Iriarte-Valdez.
Judge David Goldstein ordered Marcos Iriarte-Valdez held without bail, with a $1.1 million bail, and scheduled a hearing for Sept. 1 before Judge Michael Nieto.

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