Nima Momeni: CashApp founder Bob Lee's alleged killer cited for battery months prior to murder
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Nima Momeni, the man accused of murdering CashApp founder Bob Lee on a San Francisco street, was allegedly involved in another violent incident a few months before the murder. According to records obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle, Momeni was cited (but not charged) with misdemeanor battery for allegedly beating a woman inside his Emeryville home on August, 2022. The woman's name has not been disclosed.
The woman reported to the police that Momeni had physically assaulted her, as he "grabbed her arm and pulled it" and also "pushed her physically." Police officers met the woman on the building stairwell, gave her a ride home, and issued Momeni a citation for battery suspicion, releasing him within an hour after the incident. The prosecution declined to press charges against Momeni even though the police presented the case to them days later. They did not disclose the reason for not charging him.
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According to the Chronicle, police visited Momeni's home three times in the past year, including his arrest for Bob Lee's murder. In one instance in October, the IT consultant reported vandalism to his white BMW, the same car that investigators believe was used to transport Lee before he was stabbed.
Nima Momeni stabbed Bob Lee 3 times
Momeni is facing murder charges for the murder of Lee, which occurred on April 4, 2023, in San Francisco. On the day of the incident, Lee was seen entering Momeni's sister, Khazar's apartment complex at around 12:30 am, where Momeni was already present. Approximately two hours later, Lee left the apartment complex in Momeni's BMW, with Momeni offering to give him a ride to his hotel. However, prosecutors contend that Momeni took Lee to a dubious street in downtown San Francisco instead, where he stabbed him three times, including a fatal wound to the heart, before escaping the scene.
Nima Momeni is kept on suicide watch
Momeni is currently treated as "high-risk for suicide" at a San Francisco County Jail and faces a maximum of 26 years to life in prison if found guilty on all charges. Speaking about the suicide watch, Paula Canny, an attorney representing the suspect, said, "As is a standard process in high-profile cases in San Francisco, the jail always treats it as a high-risk suicide [watch]." San Francisco police arrested Momeni on April 13, reported New York Post.
According to Canny, though her clients had been with the victim earlier in the night of the fatal stabbing, there was no evidence of the suspect being tied to the crime scene. "He was with Bob Lee at a time that night, but the prosecutors are saying he was with Bob Lee when he was killed. I’m like, ‘OK, show me that evidence please'," she said. "Even though they made this quick arrest, I don’t have any of the supporting documents that go with the arrest warrant," Canny added. Momeni is scheduled for arraignment on April 25.
