Bob Lee, who created the well-known Cash App and works for Mobile Coin, was honored. Image: TWITTER/BOB LEE
A self-proclaimed tech entrepreneur has been taken into custody by the police in connection with the tragic stabbing death of Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App, in San Francisco.
The individual suspected in the fatal stabbing of Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App, has been identified as Nima Momeni, a 38-year-old technology consultant and start-up owner from Emeryville, California.
Mr. Lee and Mr. Momeni were known to each other, according to the police. On April 4th, Mr. Lee was found unconscious with stab wounds near San Francisco’s city center.
“He succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the hospital.”
During a news conference on Thursday, Chief William Scott of the San Francisco Police Department announced the arrest of Mr. Momeni.
According to Chief Scott, Mr. Momeni has been charged with murder and is currently in custody at the San Francisco County Jail. Chief Scott did not provide details on the relationship between Mr. Lee and the suspect.
Records show that Mr. Momeni has had prior encounters with the law, including a previous arrest for driving under the influence in 2004 and a misdemeanor charge for carrying a switchblade in 2011.
However, the latter case was dismissed after he accepted a plea deal. Mr. Momeni’s LinkedIn profile indicates that he is the owner of a company called Expand IT, Inc.
A neighbor, Sam Singer, stated that he had never experienced any negative interactions with Mr. Momeni, aside from hearing him play loud music. Mr. Singer expressed shock upon learning about Mr. Momeni’s arrest.
Prosecutors are seeking to have Mr. Momeni held without bail, and an arraignment hearing has been scheduled for Friday. Chief Scott emphasized that the case is still under investigation, and despite the arrest, it remains open.
During a news conference on Thursday, Chief William Scott of the San Francisco Police Department confirmed the arrest of the suspect identified by Mission Local, a regional news outlet, as someone who works in the tech industry.
Chief Scott announced that Mr. Momeni had been charged with murder and was currently in custody at the San Francisco County Jail.
Records indicate that Mr. Momeni has had previous encounters with the law, including a past arrest for driving under the influence in 2004 and a misdemeanor charge for carrying a switchblade in 2011, which was dismissed after he accepted a plea deal. Mr. Momeni’s LinkedIn profile lists him as the owner of a company called Expand IT, Inc.
A neighbor, Sam Singer, mentioned that he had not experienced any negative interactions with Mr. Momeni, except for hearing him play loud music. Mr. Singer expressed shock upon hearing about Mr. Momeni’s arrest.
Prosecutors are seeking to hold Mr. Momeni without bail, and an arraignment hearing has been scheduled for Friday. Chief Scott emphasized that despite the arrest, the case remains open and under investigation.
Mission Local, citing police sources, reported that Mr. Lee and the suspect were together in a vehicle and had an altercation prior to Mr. Lee being stabbed. Police responded to reports of the stabbing at around 02:35 local time on April 4th.
CCTV footage reviewed by The San Francisco Standard showed Mr. Lee walking down a deserted alleyway, seemingly seeking help. He stumbled towards a parked car and lifted his shirt to reveal his wound, but the vehicle drove off before he fell to the ground.
Police found Mr. Lee unconscious in the Rincon Hill neighborhood with two stab wounds to his chest and provided aid before rushing him to the hospital.
Mr. Lee was the chief product officer of the cryptocurrency company MobileCoin and was credited with founding Cash App, a popular smartphone-based platform for person-to-person money transfers in the US, estimated to be worth $40 billion according to Forbes. His death received numerous tributes from figures in the US tech industry.
Mr. Lee’s murder also sparked criticism against the authorities in San Francisco for their handling of violent crime in the city.
During the news conference on Thursday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins addressed the criticism, stating that her office and the police had been working tirelessly to solve Mr. Lee’s case and others.
She accused those who linked Mr. Lee’s murder to overall safety in San Francisco of making “reckless and irresponsible” statements, specifically mentioning Elon Musk by name, who had tweeted about the city’s violent crime. Ms. Jenkins stated that tweets like his served to mislead the world in their perceptions of San Francisco.
Police statistics indicate that San Francisco’s murder rate has remained fairly consistent, with 56 murders in the previous year and 56 the year before that, and the city appears to be on track for a similar homicide rate this year.
However, property crime rates, such as theft and burglary, are reported to be unusually high in San Francisco, while violent crime rates are lower than the national average compared to other US cities, as per the San Francisco Chronicle.
In recent years, retail giants such as Whole Foods, Walgreens, and Target have temporarily closed stores or reduced opening hours in San Francisco due to concerns about crime and worker safety.