An arrest has been made in the killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, who was stabbed to death on April 4 in the streets of San Francisco. Lee, who was most recently employed by the cryptocurrency startup MobileCoin, lived in the city for a number of years before reportedly relocating to Miami due to reported concerns he had about San Francisco’s rising crime, and only returned to the area for a business trip at the time of his murder.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed referred to Lee’s death as a “horrible tragedy,” while the city’s District Attorney Brooke Jenkins described the killing as “horrific.” This latest development of an arrest in the tech executive’s murder was confirmed by Aaron Peskin, the president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, in an email to NBC News.
“I’m grateful to the [San Francisco Police Department’s] Homicide Detail and all the officers from [SFPD Southern Station] and elsewhere for their tireless work to bring Bob Lee’s killer to justice and for their arrest of a suspect this morning,” San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Matt Dorsey said.
“Obviously, nothing can undo this senseless crime, and we reiterate our condolences to Mr. Lee’s family members, friends and colleagues,” he added. “But I hope today’s arrest can begin a process of healing and closure for all those touched by this tragedy.”
Law enforcement officials said at a press conference Thursday, April 13, that Nima Momeni, a self-proclaimed tech consultant, was booked on suspicion of murder in Lee’s death and is expected to be arraigned Friday, April 14. Prosecutors will ask a judge to hold him without bail, as the district attorney’s office intends to file a specific charge of murder, as well as an enhancement alleging the killing was committed with a knife.
“We can confirm Mr. Lee and Mr. Momeni knew each other,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said, however, he would not elaborate on the suspect and victim’s relationship. “The evidence shows they knew each other and that’s about as much as I can say.”
“I too want to commend the San Francisco Police Department for identifying who committed this heinous crime,” added Jenkins. “While in some cases we do immediately have a suspect, that was not the case.”
