Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City, Calif., has increased the security and police presence on campus following the stabbing of an employee.
Officers were called to the hospital about 7 p.m. Sept. 19 and found a 49-year-old man "suffering from multiple stab wounds," according to a Sept. 20 news release from the Los Angeles Police Department.
The hospital employee "was approached by the suspect," police said. "The suspect stabbed the victim and fled the location on foot."
The victim, a nurse, had arrived at the hospital to start his overnight shift when he encountered the stranger in black clothing, police said, according to FOX 11 News.
A hospital spokesperson told Becker's the incident took place outside the hospital. Once the suspect fled, the nurse came into the hospital and was treated before being transported to a local trauma center hospital, the spokesperson said.
The victim was in critical but stable condition as of Sept. 20. Police were still searching for the suspect, described as a man possibly in his 40s or 50s, as of Sept. 20.
In a statement shared with Becker's, the hospital said: "Mission Community Hospital, with the cooperation of the Los Angeles Police Department, has increased the security and police presence on campus, all of which is designed to ensure the safety of hospital employees, healthcare practitioners, patients and visitors. The hospital will continue taking such measures to maintain a safe environment campus-wide while still providing healthcare services to the community in which it serves."
Police are asking anyone with information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect to call 818-838-9830.