A worker was stabbed Monday night inside Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City in what authorities said was an unprovoked attack.
Los Angeles Police Department officers were called around 7 p.m. to the hospital at 14850 Roscoe Blvd., between Sepulveda and Van Nuys boulevards. The victim was found with a stab wound inside the building and was taken in unknown condition to another hospital for treatment, police reported.
According to officials, the knife-wielding man walked into Mission Community Hospital, went up to the employee, and began stabbing them. Police said the attack appeared to be unprovoked.
No information about the victim's age, gender or role in the hospital is yet known. The victim was in critical, but stable, condition.
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Another employee told NBC4 that he was about to start his shift when he walked into the hospital and saw all of the crime scene tape -- and knew something horrible had happened.
"They escorted me around the doors," said Dr. James Higgins. "I think there was still maybe some remnants of what had happened near the doors, so maybe blood on the ground, and I went inside and everything was on lockdown."
The attacker fled the scene before police arrived and was described as a man between 40 and 50 years old, is about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds, according to police. The attacker was last seen wearing glasses, a black hat, black hooded sweatshirt and a backpack.
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Events leading up to the stabbing were under investigation. Anyone with information was asked to call the LAPD at 877-527-3247.
Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
