A patient allegedly stabbed a social worker to death inside a San Francisco hospital, police said.
San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) arrested Wilfredo Tortolero Arriechi, 34, after the alleged Dec. 4 attack at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. The victim died two days later on Dec. 6, according to SFPD’s press release. The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office initially reported the suspect as being 35-years-old.
Investigators booked Arriechi on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem and being armed during a felony. The Homicide Detail now leads the investigation and will update charges.
Arriechi was allegedly at the hospital for a scheduled appointment when staff called for security, San Francisco Sheriff’s Office stated in a post. He had allegedly threatened a doctor at Ward 86, an HIV/AIDS clinic on the sixth floor, ABC News reported, citing the hospital’s website. (RELATED: Portland Jury Decides Stabbing White People Is Okay If They Use A Racial Slur)
**MEDIA STATEMENT ON STABBING AT ZSFGH**
At approximately 1:30 p.m. today, ZSFGH staff requested additional security for a doctor who had received threats from a patient at Ward 86 at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
While providing security for the doctor, our… pic.twitter.com/ijmSlIBW6u— SF Sheriff’s Office (@SheriffSF) December 5, 2025
A sheriff’s deputy responded to protect the doctor, police said. The deputy then heard a disturbance in the hallway and found Arriechi allegedly attacking the social worker. The deputy restrained the suspect and secured the scene. Deputies recovered a five-inch steak knife believed to be the weapon.
The victim was a 51-year-old University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), social worker who suffered multiple stab wounds to the neck and shoulder, according to ABC News. Police originally reported the victim as being 31-years-old.
The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association blamed the Department of Public Health for cutting deputy positions and shifting to a “response-only” security model. Union President Ken Lomba said hospital data shows “years of serious assaults and weapons on campus,” ABC News reported.
UPTE-CWA 9119, the union representing UCSF workers, demanded a full investigation. President Dan Russell called the victim “a remarkable, compassionate, and dedicated social worker,” according to UPTE-CWA 9119’s statement.
“We owe our colleague and friend more than grief. We owe them change, and will fight for it with everything we have,” Russell said.
The Daily Caller reached out to the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office for comment but has not heard back as of publication.