A 53-year-old man has been charged in connection with the stabbing of an employee at Sutter Health's Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame, Calif., San Mateo County prosecutors said in a Feb. 9 media statement shared with Becker's.
Bay Area News Group, a publisher of multiple newspapers, including The Mercury News, initially reported the incident last week.
Joseph Alvillar Jr. is accused of the stabbing at the hospital around 7 p.m. Feb. 7, according to the county district attorney's office.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Alvillar, a transient with a mental illness history, entered the hospital and sat down. Witnesses said Mr. Alvillar was "acting strangely and talking to himself, saying he was looking for a man dressed in white," prosecutors said.
A 53-year-old male hospital employee, who was wearing a white hospital surgical gown, saw Mr. Alvillar and asked if he could be of help, according to the district attorney's office. Prosecutors said Mr. Alvillar then stabbed the employee nine times with a pocketknife.
Police were called and Mr. Alvillar was arrested at the hospital. The employee's injuries were treated and he is stable, they said.
Mr. Alvillar was charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury, the district attorney's office said, according to Bay Area News Group.
Prosecutors said Mr. Alvillar, who remains in custody on no bail status, pleaded not guilty to all charges and did not waive his right to a speedy preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23.
Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health shared the following statement with Becker's: "One of our hospital team members was involved in an incident while assisting an upset individual in the hospital's lobby last Wednesday. Unfortunately, the team member was then attacked and injured by the assailant. Thanks to the swift actions of our protective services team, the suspect was disarmed and later taken into police custody.
"We wish our teammate a continued quick recovery and are providing our full support. The safety and well-being of our co-workers, patients and visitors are at the core of everything we do at Sutter Health. We are committed to having industry-leading safety measures in place and doing all we can to protect everyone in our facilities.
"We will also continue to coordinate with the Burlingame Police Department's ongoing investigation."
Editor's note: This story was updated at 6:51 p.m. CST on Feb. 12.