SAN FRANCISCO—Wilfredo Jose Tortolero-Arriechi, 34, was arraigned on murder charges on Tuesday, December 9, after a stabbing incident of 51-year-old UCSF social worker, Alberto Rangel, which led to his death.
Following Rangel’s untimely death, San Francisco prosecutors filed murder charges against Tortolero-Arriechi on Monday, December 8. On December 6, Rangel died of his injuries despite life-saving aids.
Murder charges have been upgraded from attempted murder. His case is now under investigation by the San Francisco Homicide Detail.
Tortolero-Arriechi was previously booked on December 4 into San Francisco County Jail for attempted murder (664/187), assault with deadly weapon (245(a)(1)PC), mayhem (203PC) and being armed during a commission of a felony (12022(b)(1)PC).
Investigators developed probable cause in arresting Tortolero-Arriechi.
Sheriff’s deputies stopped Tortolero-Arriechi at the scene. He was booked at 10:47 p.m. in San Francisco County Jail for the aforementioned crimes except murder. On December 4, at approximately 1:39 in the afternoon, Rangel was stabbed repeatedly by Tortolero-Arriechi with a five-inch kitchen knife in the neck and shoulder area in Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital’s Ward 86, the HIV care clinic.
He was looking to speak to one of the clinic’s doctors when the incident occurred. Tortolero-Arriechi appeared calm and engaged to Rangel, who advised him to leave. He obliged, walking to the elevator together, then all of a sudden Tortolero-Arriechi grabbed Rangel from behind and stabbed him many times, according to the SF District Attorney’s Office.
Less than 10 minutes before, Tortolero-Arriechi was threatening a doctor, so a sheriff’s deputy was called to assist. Rangel warned coworkers that Tortolero-Arriechi is a threat.
