A Concord father already facing a pending domestic violence case has been charged with murdering his wife at their Panoramic Drive home on October 23, prosecutors say, after a judge had released him on just $1,000 bail five months earlier. Thomas John Iovenitti, 40, now faces a maximum sentence of 29 years to life in state prison if convicted.
Contra Costa County prosecutors say Iovenitti has been charged with murder in the October 23 death of Alisha Iovenitti and with dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, according to CBS San Francisco. Concord police received a report of a disturbance involving an armed man and a woman at the residence, and when officers forced entry, they found both adults with apparent stab wounds, per the New York Post. Alisha was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts, while Iovenitti was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
The Mercury News reports that the couple’s children were home and witnessed at least part of the attack. Accounts differ on how the incident was reported to authorities: KRON4 has said the couple’s 8-year-old child was the 911 caller from the home, while the same Mercury News report states one of the children called 911 from a neighbor’s home. The discrepancy has not been resolved in subsequent reporting.
A Prior Case and a Contested Bail Decision
Iovenitti was arrested in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident involving his wife five months before the killing, prosecutors say. According to the Post, he was initially charged following a May 9 incident involving allegations of assault with a deadly weapon, assault likely to cause great bodily injury, corporal injury to a spouse and false imprisonment. Prosecutors filed felony assault with a deadly weapon and corporal injury to a spouse charges against him in connection with that incident.
At a May 19 hearing, a judge set his bail at $1,000 over the objection of the District Attorney’s office, according to CBS San Francisco’s account of the case. The judge also ordered Iovenitti to stay away from his wife and not return to the family home. The Post reports he separately faces five misdemeanor counts, including violating a court order and four counts of child endangerment.
Charging Document and Custody Status
A Contra Costa County felony complaint dated October 27 formally charged Iovenitti with the alleged October 23 murder. The complaint alleges he had been released from custody on bail or his own recognizance at the time of the offense — an allegation in the charging document, not a finding of guilt. Iovenitti is being held without bail at the Martinez Detention Facility, and the Post reports he was scheduled to be arraigned in late October.
Children Now Relying on Community Support
The couple’s three children are being cared for by relatives and close friends, according to the Post. A GoFundMe fundraiser organized by Jennifer Curry aims to raise $100,000 for the children and had raised nearly $70,000 by Sunday afternoon; Patch separately reported the campaign had reached just over half its goal by November 6. The fund is expected to cover housing, food, clothing, medical care, counseling and transportation, and organizers plan to establish a fund for the children’s future education, with donations managed by a trustee for the children’s benefit.
Curry said the family unit is working tirelessly together to give them a stable home, counseling, and routines that feel normal again. The children’s parents had depleted their savings, leaving the kids without a financial safety net, according to the fundraiser’s description. GoFundMe has said all funds raised, after payment processing fees, will be used for their care and future.
Those who knew Alisha Iovenitti describe a mother who filled her children’s lives with sports, friends, and community. Her daughter enjoys art and music, one of her sons loves baseball and football, and another plays soccer and baseball, according to details shared through the fundraiser.
