(5/10/98)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A hotel cook who specializes in soups and sauces was jailed for allegedly biting off part of a tardy co-worker's finger during an argument, police said.
The San Francisco Hilton cook, Jose Grimal, 46, was arrested for investigation of mayhem and assault. His arraignment was scheduled for today.
Grimal got mad Monday when he could not get into a storage closet because the victim, Fekadu Woldeabzgi, 32, was late to work and the door was locked. When Woldeabzgi arrived, the two men argued, police Sgt. Stephen Venters said.
The victim was shaking his finger about a foot away from Grimal's face when the cook allegedly reached out and ``just grabbed it and bit my finger off,'' Woldeabzgi told police.
Grimal claimed the victim's finger accidentally entered his mouth, Venters said.
A Hilton security guard told officers that Grimal said: ``I just want to notify you that I got into an argument with the storeroom guy, and I bit his finger off. I'm going back to work,'' according to the police report.
Officers arrested the chef after interviewing both men, as well as doctors.
Woldeabzgi was taken to Davies Medical Center where doctors reattached the finger and partially reconstructed his damaged fingertip. He will require skin grafts, doctors said.
Police referred Grimal's case to the district attorney's office Tuesday, said Venters.
Hilton spokeswoman Debbie Larkin said Grimal will retain his job for the moment pending further legal action. Asked at what point the hotel might fire the cook, she responded, ``I don't know. I haven't in all the years I've been here come across an incident like this, except for the one time when the bellboy decided to start a finger collection.''