SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A tech executive died after an apparent stabbing near SoMa early Tuesday morning, and police are asking for the public to come forward with any information, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The victim is Bob Lee, 43, of Mill Valley. Not only was he the founder of mobile payment service Cash App, he was an executive at cryptocurrency MobileCoin, part of mobile payment service Square and helped create Android.
No arrests have been made and no description of a suspect has been released.
Around 2:35 a.m., officers were called to the 400 block of Main Street, near the Highrise Condos, after receiving a report of a stabbing in the area. Officers found Lee suffering from what appeared to be stab wounds.
Lee was provided medical aid by officers and emergency medical responders before he was taken to a local hospital. He later died of his injuries.
MobileCoin founder Joshua Golbard remembered Lee on Twitter saying Lee “was an incredible human being. Saying Bob’s name in the past tense feels ridiculous. I don’t even know where to begin.
“Bob was like a brother to me. He came into my life like a fever dream and helped build [Moby]. Bob was so much more than a technologist. Bob was an artist.
“There will never be anyone quite like him. As a lifelong Bay Area resident, I have more questions than answers tonight [Tuesday]. I don’t know how to fix what’s wrong, but I know something isn’t working in our grey city. Bob left this world too soon.”
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“I want to extend my sincere condolences to Mr. Lee’s family members and loved ones for his loss,” said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins in a tweet. “We do not tolerate these horrific acts of violence in San Francisco.”
No arrests have been made at this time, according to Jenkins.
SFPD released the following statement regarding the homicide.
“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mr. Lee. There is no place for this kind of violent crime against anyone in our city. I want to assure everyone that our investigators are working tirelessly to make an arrest and bring justice to Mr. Lee and his loved ones, just as we try to do on every homicide that occurs in our city,” said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott.
“This investigation is still in the early stages. Because of this we are not commenting on evidence, nor will we speculate on the circumstances surrounding this horrific crime. Although we will commit the necessary resources and personnel to this investigation, I want to assure everyone in San Francisco that our department is staffed and ready to respond to all calls for service.
“I encourage anyone with information about this case to call the SFPD 24-hour Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous or leave your information for follow-up by a homicide investigator.”
