SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — A University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) social worker succumbed to stab wounds he sustained during an attack at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFGH) on Thursday. The incident has sparked calls for better security protocols within the facility.
ZSFGH Stabbing Attack Details and Suspect Apprehension
Alberto Rangel, 51, worked as social worker in Ward 86, a renowned HIV clinic within ZSFGH. The ward, which lacked a metal detector, became the scene of the attack around 1:30 p.m. when sheriff’s deputies responded to a call for increased security after a doctor received threats from a patient.
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Witnesses reported that a deputy encountered the suspect, Wilfredo Tortolero Arriechi, attacking Rangel, resulting in the social worker sustaining critical neck and shoulder wounds. Authorities later recovered a 5-inch kitchen knife believed to have been used in the attack.
Arriechi, 34, was apprehended on charges of murder and assault with a deadly weapon, among charges. The incident has drawn attention to ongoing safety concerns previously highlighted by union members.
A doctor at the San Francisco City Clinic was reportedly Arriechi’s target, but the doctor wasn’t there, so the suspect went to the general hospital.
Union Leaders, Staff and Law Enforcement Criticize ZSFGH Security Failures
Julette Suarez, a fellow social worker at the hospital, expressed frustration during an interview with ABC7, stating, “Members have been raising safety concerns for a long time. Workers have been complaining about safety for years. This is something that should never have happened.”
Union leaders are calling for a security review, asserting that previous warnings from social workers about potential threats were largely ignored. The union representing social workers, UPTE, had previously flagged concerns about Arriechi.
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The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association also criticized past decisions by the hospital to reduce deputy positions at the facility, suggesting that such cutbacks contributed to the tragedy. The association highlighted past data indicating a history of serious assaults and weapons incidents on campus, which they argue necessitates a robust security presence.
In a statement, the association commented, “ZSFGH’s own data show years of serious assaults and weapons on campus. Deputies, nurses, and social workers told DPH that pulling deputies off high-risk units/posts and replacing them with unarmed cadets and distant response teams would get someone seriously hurt or killed. On December 4, that prediction came true,” reports ABC News.
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The fatal stabbing has underscored the urgent need for effective security measures in healthcare settings, particularly those dealing with high-risk populations.
