by San Francisco police on Thursday arrested a suspect in the fatal stabbing of technology executive Bob Lee, law enforcement officials announced Thursday.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott spoke to reporters at a news conference and identified the suspect as Nima Momeni, 38, of Emeryville, California. He confirmed that Lee and Momeni knew each other.
Momeni will be charged with murder, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told reporters. She added that she plans to file a motion to hold him without bail to ensure he remains in custody.
It is expected to be processed on Friday afternoon.
“I recognize and understand how the loss of a vibrant young leader and innovator has rocked our city, and beyond,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins criticized tech mogul Elon Musk, who was among a group of public figures who tried to link Lee’s murder to broader public safety issues without learning all the facts of the case.
“I must point out that reckless and irresponsible statements, such as those contained in Mr. Musk’s tweet that assumed the incorrect circumstances of Mr. Lee’s death, serve to mislead the world in its perception of San Francisco,” Jenkins said.
seemed to refer to a tweet sent by Musk after news of Lee’s murder first broke earlier this month. “Violent crime in San Francisco is horrific and even if the attackers are caught, they are often released immediately,” Musk wrote, tagging Jenkins.
Police said officers responded to a report of a stabbing around 2:35 a.m. on April 4. Agents discovered Lee with apparent stab wounds. He was taken to a hospital and died from his injuries.
In a surveillance video posted by the Daily MailLee can be seen staggering and appearing to call for help after being stabbed.
Lee had been working as a product manager for cryptocurrency company MobileCoin. He was previously CTO of Square (now known as Block), a fintech startup co-founded by former Twitter chief Jack Dorsey.
He then created Cash App, a well-known money transfer service.
Lee was also an investor in Musk’s SpaceX venture, as well as other tech companies, such as the social audio app Clubhouse, according to his LinkedIn profile.
In a Facebook post On April 5, Lee’s father mourned his son, writing that the two had recently moved from California to Miami.
“Bobby worked harder than anyone and was the smartest person I’ve ever met,” Richard Lee said in the post, which was accompanied by a news article about the stabbing. “Thank you to those who have reached out in support.”
San Francisco has recorded 13 homicides since the start of the year, according to data compiled by the police department. The city recorded the same number of homicides during the same period last year.
