Well, this is sad.
An elderly woman who was at the emergency room at San Francisco General Hospital Friday night was attacked by another patient.
According to KGO, the woman was inside the ER at about 10 p.m. when a male who was being transferred from the emergency room to the psych ER for a psychiatric evaluation hopped off the gurney and randomly started beating the victim, who the hospital identified to us as Mary Perez.
Sheriff's deputies pulled the man off the woman and restrained him. The victim suffered some bruises, but she did not have to be hospitalized for the attack, according to the news station. The hospital later identified the suspect 29-year-old Oren Zebest, the news station reports.
Police typically escort or restrain patients who have a violent past or are suspected of posing danger. In this case, Zebest was was not restrained, nor was he being escorted by authorities.
San Francisco General says this is the first time something like this has happened. Rachael Kagan, spokeswoman for the hospital, emailed SF Weekly the following statement this morning:
It is standard practice for patients on psychiatric holds who are brought to an emergency department by ambulance to be evaluated by an emergency physician prior to transferring to PES. We see approximately 4,000 patients on psychiatric holds every year and in each case the safety of patients and staff is our primary concern. Ms. Perez is in good condition. Federal and state privacy laws prevent us from releasing more information about Ms. Perez or the assailant. San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center is profoundly sorry that Ms. Perez was injured while in our care. We take patient safety very seriously and are reviewing our procedures. We will continue to communicate with Ms. Perez's family and provide all necessary services to ensure Ms. Perez makes a full recovery.
