San Francisco Police on Thursday Technology worker arrested Nima Momeni related to last week Killed Cash App founder Bob Lee.
Authorities have not released a motive for the stabbing, saying that Momeni and Lee appeared to know each other. There has been speculation that Lee’s murder was a random street crime.
What do we know about the murder?
Lee, 43, product manager of crypto startup MobileCoin, is bleed to death near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge at about 2:35 a.m. on April 4. He was taken to the hospital, where he died.
Lee was in San Francisco for a few days spending time with friends after the MobileCoin leadership summit, Doug Dalton says, who met him when they were software engineers.
What do we know about Momenti?
Momeni was arrested in Emeryville. Police served a search warrant at an address that matched Momeni’s business, Expand IT.
The company was founded in 2010, working with clients in healthcare, finance and other markets, according to Momeni’s LinkedIn account.
Sam Singer, who works in an office next to Momeni’s and serves on the building’s board, said they met when Singer moved into his place a month ago.
He called Momeni a “kind, professional gentleman,” but noted a strange incident the night before Lee’s death, April 3, when a woman entered the building and shouted the name ” Nima,” according to Singer as well as the group building’s own Facebook posts.
The singer said the episode worried people so much that they filed a complaint about it.
The singer said that Momeni has worked and lived in his unit and has been there since 2021. When Singer first moved into his own unit, Momeni left him a message, welcoming him in. building.
“He was very friendly, kind and charming. You would never have had any idea that he would be accused of such a heinous crime.
An unnamed neighbor said police officers, including the SWAT team, arrived on Thursday morning to arrest Momeni and warn his upstairs occupants to stay indoors.
“It makes me wonder how owners and landlords check their tenants,” she said. “I don’t panic when I hear someone living in our building walking around with a knife.”
Lee’s friend Dalton said that Lee and Momeni were in the same group of friends but didn’t know each other.
Dalton said: “I don’t know him, but I’ve heard he’s a bit erratic and often short-circuits.
Russell Haynes, owner of Coast Range Technologies in the San Francisco Bay Area, said Momeni was an IT consultant at his company in 2006. Haynes said Momeni is a quiet, respectable employee who often goes to work. location to troubleshoot IT issues at businesses in the Bay Area.
“He is young, eager to learn IT. He wanted to run his own business,” says Haynes.
He is shocked to hear that Momeni has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
“That was not the Nima of my day,” Haynes said.
Momeni was charged in 2011 in Alameda County for driving with a suspended license and selling a stapler. He did not object to the moving violation, the knife charge was dismissed and he was sentenced to 10 days in county jail and three years of probation.
He was also charged in 2004 with drunk driving, a misdemeanor. The allegation was dismissed.
Neighbor Chris Donatiello said Momeni seemed friendly and welcoming, adding that it was not unusual for him to see Momeni after Lee’s death.
“I met him last week. Right outside the parking lot,” said Donatiello. “I said, ‘Hey, long time no see. How are you?’ and he said, ‘I’d better see you now.’”
