A 51-year-old UCSF social worker was stabbed in the neck and shoulder by a patient Thursday afternoon, and the suspect was quickly taken into custody, as the hospital had already called authorities on the unruly patient.
At about 1:30 pm Thursday afternoon, hospital workers at the Zuckerberg SF General Hospital made a call for security because a patient was exhibiting threatening behavior toward one of their on-duty doctors. This ended up being a very wise decision.
Not long after SF Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene, KPIX reports that the aggressively behaving patient stabbed a UCSF social worker, and that social worker remains in critical condition.
It’s deeply upsetting to have a frontline worker injured while doing their job serving our city. Our social workers spend every day helping struggling San Franciscans—they should never have to fear for their safety while doing that work. I want to thank our first responders and… https://t.co/2REQGKXYjv
— Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 (@DanielLurie) December 5, 2025
“While providing security for the doctor, our sheriff’s deputy heard a disturbance unfolding in the hallway involving the suspect, who was attacking a social worker,” the SF Sheriff’s Office said in a Thursday night statement. “The deputy intervened immediately, restraining the suspect and securing the scene."
That statement adds that “The victim... sustained multiple stab wounds, including injuries to the neck and shoulder.”
The attack happened at SF General Hospital’s Ward 86, which is the HIV care clinic. Authorities recovered a five-inch kitchen knife at the scene they believe was the weapon used in the attack. The unnamed suspect is a 34-year-old male who was there for a scheduled appointment, and apparently had a history of making threats to medical staff there.
Though if you’re going to have the terrible fortune of being stabbed, a hospital is sort of a lucky place to have that happen. Medical staff were of course on hand, and immediately performed CPR. The social worker victim was then wheeled straight to the operating room, and again, was listed in critical condition as of Thursday night.
The Sheriff's Office statement added that “Hospital staff and patients in the vicinity were understandably shaken, but there is no ongoing threat to the public.”
Update: The victim has been identified as 51-year-old Alberto Rangel, and Rangel died from his injuries on Saturday.
The suspect has been identified as 34-year-old Wilfredo Jose Tortolero-Arriechi, and he has been charged with murder.
Related: Social Worker Stabbed Four Times at Tenderloin SRO Wednesday, Remains Hospitalized [SFist]
Image: Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center via Yelp
Correction: An earlier version of this article, based on initial reports, gave the victim's age as 31, but he was 51.
