A 51-year-old female social worker at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center was critically injured in a knife attack by a patient on December 5th and succumbed to her injuries two days later. The suspect has been arrested, and the charges have been upgraded from attempted murder to murder.
The incident occurred around 1:39 p.m. local time on December 5th in Ward 86, the sixth floor of the hospital, according to ABC news report on Sunday, December 7th. Ward 86 is known to be an HIV/AIDS clinic based on information provided on the medical facility’s website.
The victim of the knife attack was initially reported to be a 31-year-old social worker from the University of California, San Francisco, but later corrected to be a 51-year-old. Sadly, despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead on Sunday.
The suspect, Wilfredo Tortolero Arriechi, a 34-year-old, was apprehended, and the police statement revealed that he had a scheduled appointment and made threats to a doctor before the attack took place. Upon hearing the commotion in the hallway, a deputy rushed to the scene to protect the doctor and witnessed the suspect attacking the social worker with a knife, leading to his immediate intervention and arrest.
The female victim sustained multiple stab wounds to her neck and shoulder, and a kitchen knife with a five-inch blade, confirmed to be the weapon used, was found at the scene. San Francisco Police Department officers arrived and arrested Arriechi, charging him with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, serious injury, and possession of a weapon in the commission of a crime.
Since the donation of $75 million by Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan to the hospital, the institution, with a 147-year history, was renamed as Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in 2015.
Although the victim’s name has not been disclosed by the police, her colleagues speak highly of her. The UPTE-CWA 9119 union, representing professional and technical employees of the University of California, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of a compassionate and dedicated social worker, beloved by family, friends, colleagues, and union members.
The union’s president, Dan Russell, called for a thorough investigation into the case and urged the establishment of reliable, consistent, and transparent safety protocols to ensure the security of every social worker when leaving their shifts.
The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association criticized the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH), responsible for operating the hospital, for reducing the number of deputy sheriffs stationed at the hospital recently, changing to a security model that responds only to calls.
The association’s chairman, Ken Lomba, stated, “This was not a random, unpredictable event.” He pointed out that the hospital’s data indicated several recent incidents of severe assaults and weapon use on campus.
In response to ABC News on Monday, December 8th, the San Francisco Department of Public Health emphasized that ensuring the safety of employees, patients, and the community is their top priority. They have implemented various measures to strengthen hospital security, including increasing security personnel, entrance restrictions, and expediting the installation of weapon detection systems.
The department stated that a comprehensive investigation is ongoing and committed to immediate and long-term safety enhancements in all facilities.
The statement affirmed, “This tragic event underscores the urgency of our ongoing efforts to enhance the protection of all employees. We are dedicated to taking all necessary measures to ensure that no one needs to fear for their safety while providing healthcare services to the people of San Francisco.”