San Francisco social worker dies after being stabbed by a patient
12/08/2025 4:07 pm PST
SAN FRANCISCO (TCN) — A social worker is dead after being stabbed multiple times in the neck and shoulder by a patient in a knife attack at a hospital Dec. 4.
The San Francisco Police Department announced officers responded to the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center after reports of a stabbing on the afternoon of Dec. 4. Wilfredo Tortolero Arriechi, 34, was arrested at the scene. He was booked into the San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem, and being armed in the commission of a felony, according to police.
Alberto Rangel, 51, died Dec. 5 of his injuries, CBS News reports. In addition to his career in social work, he ran a support group for people living with HIV and AIDS. According to a colleague, he loved his job and went above and beyond for others.
KGO reports that on the day of the attack, Tortolero Arriechi went to San Francisco City Clinic looking for a doctor he was targeting. The doctor was not there, so he reportedly went to the general hospital.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Tortolero Arriechi had been at the hospital for an appointment and made threats to a doctor; he was reportedly known to staff as a regular patient at the hospital’s HIV clinic, Ward 86.
In a press release, the San Francisco Deputy Sheriff’s Association called on city leaders to restore deputy sheriff staffing at high-risk units. On Dec. 4, hospital staff had already raised concerns about the safety of a doctor who was requesting protection. While the deputy on duty was providing security for that doctor, Tortolero Arriechi allegedly stabbed Rangel.
The Deputy Sheriff’s Association President said, “If a deputy is on the opposite side of the campus when an employee is attacked on an upper floor, the response time is so long that the employee could be dead before help arrives. On December 4, a deputy happened to be close enough to intervene —and even then, the social worker suffered life-threatening wounds.”
SFGate reports that in response to the attack and to the DSA’s statement, the Department of Public Health taken steps to improve staff safety.
The San Francisco Standard reports that Tortolero Arriechi is now being charged on suspicion of murder. The investigation is active.
