Cash app founder was stabbed three times after argument with suspect over sister
Suspect Nima Momeni smiled at his family during his first court appearance charged with murder on Friday
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
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.”
“Thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class,” she added. “Love you Selfish pricks.”
Mr Momeni, who smiled at his family during his first court appearance on Friday, is accused of fatally stabbing the victim while driving in San Francisco’s Rincon Hill area early on 4 April.
The court documents, which were filed by the San Francisco district attorney’s office, give more details on what prosecutors allege happened.
They state that on the evening of 3 April a group were in a San Francisco hotel room, where Lee and Mr Momeni were seen by a witness having a conversation.
A witness told investigators that they overheard Mr Momeni asking Lee if his sister had been “doing drugs or anything inappropriate” earlier in the day, with Lee telling him that “nothing inappropriate had happened.”
Prosecutors state in the court papers that they believe that it was a deliberate attack that killed Lee.
“Defendant did not use some type of pocket knife, but a cooking knife from an apartment and kitchen,” the court documents state. “This was a planned and deliberate attack.”
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott confirmed Mr Momeni had been charged with one count of murder at a press conference on Thursday.
The suspect was arrested without incident at an address in Emeryville, a city in the Bay Area, earlier in the day.
The Mission Local news site was the first to report the arrest and said that the pair were known to each other.
Mr Momeni appeared in court for the first time on Friday after the case sparked a furious debate about public safety in the city.
A crowd of reporters packed into the courtroom as the suspect’s sister Khazar Momeni, also called Khazar Elyassnia, attended the hearing with her husband, Dr Dino Elyassnia, and three other members of the family, according to Mr Momeni’s temporary lawyer Robert Canny, The San Francisco Standard reported.
The suspect was wearing an orange sweatshirt and sweatpants as his sister and another woman held up her hands in the shape of a heart as the suspect smiled at them.
Mr Momeni’s arraignment was initially set to take place on Friday, but it has now been rescheduled for 25 April.
Mr Momeni will be represented for the rest of the proceedings by Mr Canny’s sister, Paula Canny, a private lawyer from Burlingame, California who wasn’t present on Friday, the paper noted.
“The facts of what occurred, or didn’t occur, will come out over time,” Mr Canny said, stepping in for his vacationing sister.
Mr Momeni didn’t speak in court except to say “yes, your honour” when he was asked if agreed to decline his right to a quick trial.
The suspect is set to remain in custody without bail. He didn’t enter a plea on Friday and he didn’t make any comments. His next appearance is set to take place at 9am PT on 25 April.
Booking records from the San Francisco County jail show that Mr Momeni was booked in on a murder charge at 9.19am on Thursday.
The arrest was earlier confirmed by Lee’s ex-wife Krista, his brother Tim Oliver Lee, and city officials on Thursday.