Murdered tech exec knew his attacker – police
San Francisco police have arrested a 38-year-old technology entrepreneur for the stabbing death last week of Cash App founder Bob Lee, saying he was an acquaintance of the victim, and the murder therefore wasn’t a reflection of random violence on the city’s streets.
Nima Momeni, a consultant who lives in the San Francisco suburb of Emeryville, was arrested on Thursday and booked into jail on a murder charge, police said. He’s scheduled to be arraigned in court on Friday, and prosecutors plan to request that he be held without bail pending his trial, because he poses a risk to public safety.
“Our investigators have been working tirelessly to make this arrest and bring this case to justice for the Lee family and his loved ones, just as we would for every homicide that occurs in this city,” police chief William Scott told reporters at a press briefing.
Lee, 43, was stabbed at least twice in the chest around 2:30 am on April 4 in downtown San Francisco. He died shortly after being transported to a local hospital. Shocking video posted on social media showed him staggering around after the stabbing, trying to get help. He dialed 911 on his cell phone and screamed, “Help, someone stabbed me!”
Scott declined to discuss details of the incident or a potential motive, saying the case is still under investigation. However, he and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins emphasized that the suspect and the victim knew each other. Jenkins scolded social media users, including Twitter owner Elon Musk, for erroneous speculation about the murder.
“Reckless and irresponsible statements, like those contained in Mr. Musk’s tweet, that assumed incorrect circumstances about Mr. Lee’s death, serve to mislead the world in their perceptions of San Francisco and also negatively impact the pursuit of justice for victims of crime, as it spreads misinformation at a time when the police trying to solve a very difficult case,” Jenkins told reporters.
After news of Lee’s death surfaced, Musk said, “Many people I know have been severely assaulted. Violent crime in San Francisco is horrific, and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.” He also tagged Jenkins, asking whether the city is “taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders.”
Jenkins acknowledged that the killing of a high-profile technology innovator “has rocked our city and even beyond.” She added, “Since taking office last July, I’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that San Franciscans not only feel safer, but actually are safer.”
