SF General Hospital stabbing suspect charged with murder, DA Brooke Jenkins says
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced on Monday the suspect in the deadly Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital stabbing has been charged with murder.
The 36-year-old man is accused of killing Alberto Rangel, 51, a UCSF social worker, who died Saturday after being attacked by a patient last Thursday.
In addition to murder, the suspect is facing other charges.
"He's also been charged with a single allegation for the use of a knife during the commission of that crime," DA Jenkins said.
She said the suspect "poses a significant public safety risk to the San Francisco community."
"I want to at this point, extend my condolences both to the victim's family, who I know are in so much pain right now with this tragic loss of life, but also to the staff of San Francisco General Hospital, who I know are also suffering right now. We have to make sure as law enforcement that we do the utmost to protect everybody who works in health care and those who are trying to serve the people who need the most help in our city, each and every day, they come to work to take care of others, and it's our obligation to take care of them," said Jenkins.
The suspect will be arraigned on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the San Francisco Hall of Justice.
The community gathered to mourn outside Zuckerberg General Hospital Sunday evening.
There are new details about what led up to the deadly stabbing at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital last Thursday.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports staff had raised concerns about the suspect, who had threatened multiple staff members weeks before the incident.
And on the day of the stabbing, the suspect reportedly went to the San Francisco City Clinic in the SOMA neighborhood to look for a doctor he was targeting.
RELATED: Social worker fatally stabbed at SF hospital remembered by community as 'devoted to his patients'
When the doctor wasn't there - the suspect went to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
"Members have been raising safety concerns for a long time. Workers have been complaining about safety for years. This is something that should have never happened," said social worker, Juliette Suarez.
RELATED: Social worker dies after stabbed by patient at SF General Hospital; suspect arrested: authorities
Union leaders called for a hospital security review.
The Department of Public Health says it is conducting a full investigation into the incident.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said on Monday there has been tension over law enforcement being present in certain environments.
"I think we have to come to the reality of the understanding, law enforcement serves a purpose and we have a job we need to do and part of that is protecting people in their work environment," she said.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health announced several changes at the hospital to Buildings 80 and 90.
They include expediting the installation of a weapons detection system, restricting access, increasing security, adding security screenings with metal detector wands, and adjusting protocol for high-risk threats to staff safety.
Editorial Note: ABC7 News is not naming the suspect until he is arraigned
