Cash App founder stabbed – latest: Bob Lee argued over Nima Momeni’s sister before murder, court told
Nima Momeni was arrested on Thursday – one week after Cash App owner Bob Lee was discovered in the Rincon Hill area of San Francisco after being fatally stabbed
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Cash app founder Bob Lee was allegedly stabbed following an argument about his suspected killer’s sister, according to court papers.
Nima Momeni, 38, is accused of stabbing the 43-year-old tech executive three times with a four-inch kitchen knife, including twice in the chest, the documents state, according to NBC News.
Prosecutors say that at some point during the incident, Mr Momeni’s sister sent a text to Lee, which stated, “Just wanted to make sure your doing ok Cause know nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you.”
Nima Momeni appeared in court for the first time on Friday after the case sparked a furious debate about public safety in San Francisco.
The suspect was wearing an orange sweatshirt and sweatpants as his sister and another woman held up their hands in the shape of a heart as the suspect smiled at them.
“The facts will come out, what’s basically in the press is inaccurate,” Mr Momeni’s stand-in lawyer told the press.
In a press conference announcing Mr Momeni’s arrest for murder on Thursday, San Francisco officials confirmed that the two men knew each other but declined to provide details.
Lee’s family friend later told The San Francisco Chronicle that the two tech executives are thought to have known each other through Mr Momeni’s sister, who Lee had recently gotten to know.
The two men were hanging out together on the night of the fatal stabbing, the friend said.
Timeline of Bob Lee murder – Cash App founder who moved out of San Francisco due to rising crime rate
What we know about the murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee
Suspect in Cash App founder Bob Lee’s deadly stabbing has prior knife arrest- Cash app founder’s murder suspect smiles at family in first court appearance
- Nima Momeni: Who is the tech executive arrested for murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee?
Twitter users slam San Francisco crime narrative following arrest of tech executive
Twitter users slammed the narrative put forward by some that San Francisco is being taken over by violent crime after a tech executive was reportedly arrested in the killing of Bob Lee.
“It apparently was not a random big city street crime that the far-right made it out to be. San Francisco police arrested a suspect in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee. Suspect is acquaintance, & fellow tech executive, Lee was seen with in a car earlier,” Mike Sington wrote.
“Cops have arrested a *fellow tech executive* in the murder of Bob Lee??!? That’s going to change a lot of peoples narratives…” Clara Jeffrey added.
“So that whole news cycle about San Francisco crime was actually…..” Molly Jong-Fast said.
Whole Foods shuts flagship San Francisco store amid fears for staff safety
Whole Foods is temporarily closing its flagship store in downtown San Francisco just one year after it opened due to concerns for staff safety.
The 65,000-square-foot store at Trinity Place in the Mid-Market neighbourhood shut its doors on Monday to “ensure the safety” of its employees, a Whole Foods spokesperson told The Independent.
The grocery store last year reduced its opening hours due to rampant theft and changed bathroom rules after staff found syringes and pipes in restrooms, The San Francisco Standard reported.
The city had been on edge after a series of violent incidents including the murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee on 4 April.
The Whole Foods spokesperson added the closure was a “difficult decision”, and all staff would be transferred to nearby stores.
The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has more:
Whole Foods shuts San Francisco store amid safety fears after Cash App stabbing
Rampant theft and drug use in bathrooms led grocery giant to close flagship downtown San Francisco store
Cash App founder Bob Lee's possible ties to accused killer revealed
A possible connection between slain Cash App founder Bob Lee and his accused killer Nima Momeni has now been revealed.
In a press conference announcing Mr Momeni’s arrest for murder on Thursday, San Francisco officials confirmed that the two men knew each other but declined to provide details.
Lee’s family friend told The San Francisco Chronicle that they believe the two tech executives knew each other through Mr Momeni’s sister, who Lee recently got to know.
The two men were hanging out together on the night that the fatal stabbing unfolded, the friend said.
Sources told ABC7 that Mr Momeni’s sister’s home in San Francisco’s Millennium Tower was one of three places where police carried out a search warrant on Thursday morning.
Her home is just four blocks away from where Lee was fatally stabbed.
Fellow tech executive arrested in Bob Lee killing
San Francisco police have reportedly arrested a fellow tech executive in connection with the fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bob Lee.
Lee, 43, died in San Francisco General Hospital on Tuesday 4 April after being stabbed twice in the Rincon Hill neighbourhood of San Francisco.
His last tragic moments as he stumbled, mortally wounded, down Main St in San Francisco’s downtown district in search of help were captured on surveillance footage.
The Independent’s Bevan Hurley has more:
Bob Lee: Tech executive arrested in fatal stabbing of Cash App founder, report says
Suspect reportedly knew Cash App founder Bob Lee
Suspect in Cash App founder Bob Lee's deadly stabbing has prior knife arrest
The suspect in the stabbing murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee has previously been arrested over a knife.
Court records, obtained by The San Francisco Chronicle, reveal that Nima Momeni was arrested and charged in 2011 in Alameda County, California, for illegally selling a switchblade knife.
The knife charge was later dismissed.
More than a decade later, he is now charged with stabbing Lee to death in San Francisco on 4 April.
Former fire commissioner badly injured in brutal attack in San Francisco
Former San Franciso fire commissioner Don Carmignani has undergone emergency skull surgery after being brutally beaten by a man armed with a metal pipe, his family said.
The 53-year-old was attacked around 7.20pm on Wednesday outside his parent’s home on Magnolia Stree in the Marina district,The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
A suspect, identified by police as 24-year-old Garret Doty, was arrested nearby shortly afterwards.
The vicious assault came a day after tech executive Bob Leewas stabbed to death in the city’s Rincon Hill neighbourhood. It has further fuelled anger and fear among residents about crime rates in the California city.
Read more:
Former fire commissioner badly injured in brutal attack in San Francisco
Brazen assault has further fuelled anxiety over crime in the city, police chief says
Elon Musk still silent after criticism from SF officials
Elon Musk is yet to respond to criticism from San Francisco officials after he instantly suggested that Bob Lee’s death was a result of the city’s crime wave.
In the hours after Mr Lee’s death, Mr Musk took to his own platform Twitter to call on San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to take tougher action against violent criminals.
“Many people I know have been severely assaulted,” Mr Musk tweeted. “Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately. Is the city taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders Brooke Jenkins?
At a press conference on Thursday, DA Jenkins attacked Elon Musk’s “reckless and irresponsible statements” about the murder.
Tech executive Nima Momeni, 38, was arrested in Emeryville on Thursday morning and booked into San Francisco County Jail on a charge of murder with an enhancement for using a knife, Ms Jenkins confirmed. Police said that Mr Momeni, the owner of Expand IT, knew Lee but didn’t provide further information about their ties.
Ms Jenkins said Mr Musk’s comments in the early stages of the investigation had “served to mislead the world in their perceptions of San Francisco and also negatively impact the pursuit of justice for victims of crime”.
“He knew nothing about the facts of this case. Nobody did,” she added.
As of 4.30am ET on Friday morning, Mr Musk was yet to respond – despite posting several other tweets.
San Francisco Police Department short of 548 officers even as applications increase
The San Francisco Police Department is short of 548 officers even as applications increase, Chief Bill Scott has said.
“Our applications have gone up we’re double where we were last year on applications,” he said, according to ABC7.
Supervisor Joel Engardio represents the largest neighbourhood in the city, the Sunset District.
“I want to point out some good news. We have got to think about some good news today. I’m hopeful because you see our district attorney and our police chief sitting together here ... I cannot emphasize enough how important this is,” he said on Thursday night.
“We have to do all this together because we do well when we can do it together but we still have a long way to go,” Shief Scott added.
Nima Momeni’s brushes with the law
The tech executive accused of killing Bob Lee has had several prior brushes with the law, it has been revealed.
Court records, obtained by The San Francisco Chronicle, reveal that Nima Momeni was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in 2004.
In 2011, he was charged in Alameda County, California, with illegally selling a switchblade knife and driving with a suspended licence.
The knife charge was later dismissed and he was ordered to destroy the weapon.
The driving charge – a misdemeanour – stuck and in 2012 he pleaded no contest to the charge.
He was sentenced to 10 days in jail and ordered to pay a $900 fine, as well as being placed under three years of probation.
Now, he is now charged with murder.