Concord man charged in wife's murder was on bail in domestic violence case, DA says

An East Bay man accused of fatally stabbing his wife earlier this month was out on bail in a domestic violence case, prosecutors said.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office, 40-year-old Thomas John Iovenitti has been charged with murder in the Oct. 23 death of Alisha Iovenitti and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime.

Iovenitti was also charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon and felony corporal injury to a spouse in connection with an incident in May. In addition, he has been charged with five misdemeanors, including violating a court order and four counts of child endangerment.

According to Concord Police, officers were called to the family's home on Panoramic Drive around 8:50 p.m. after a caller reported a disturbance between an armed man and a woman. When police tried to contact the occupants of the residence, no one responded and officers forced entry into the home.

Police found the man and woman with apparent stab wounds. Despite life saving efforts, the woman died at the scene.

The man was hospitalized in critical condition.

Prosecutors said Iovenitti was initially charged following an incident on May 9 with misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, corporal injury to a spouse and false imprisonment.

During a May 19 hearing, a judge set his bail at $1,000 over objection of the District Attorney's office and ordered him not to contact his wife or return to the family home.

Iovenitti is being held at the Martinez Detention Facility without bail, with his arraignment scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. If convicted, Iovenitti faces a maximum sentence of 29 years to life in state prison.