Khazar Elyassnia, the sister of the man accused of fatally stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee—whom she reportedly attended sex parties with—was arrested Monday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence in San Francisco.
Elyassnia, 38, also faces charges of hit and run, failing to drive within a lane, and failing to provide proof of financial responsibility, according to jail records obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Police sources told the Chronicle that Elyassnia caused a crash around 11 a.m. Monday, at an intersection near Union Square in the city’s downtown area—about two miles from where Lee was allegedly killed by Nima Momeni in April.
Elyassnia, who also goes by Khazar Momeni, was arrested at the scene after officers spoke to her and witnesses, the Chronicle reported. No other details about the crash’s circumstances, including possible injuries, were made public by Tuesday afternoon.
The arrest comes on the heels of Elyassnia emerging as a key figure in her brother’s case, with authorities viewing her relationship with Lee as a possible motive for what allegedly drove Momeni to murder the tech executive.
Some of Lee’s friends told the Wall Street Journal in May that he was part of an underground party scene called “The Lifestyle,” along with Elyassnia, the wife of a prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon. The friends said he’d been casually sleeping with Elyassnia.
“He was also hanging out with people who weren’t great people, and that was part of what happened in the end,” Dana Wagner told the Journal. “There are a lot of swingers, cheaters, and liars in that crowd.”
The killing of Lee, 43, initially sparked outrage among celebrities, conservatives, tech executives, and scores of others as they initially perceived his slaying to have been a random attack on the streets of San Francisco.
Circumstances surrounding the killing quickly shifted after police arrested Momeni, a successful tech consultant. Further mystery arose after a toxicology report showed that Lee had cocaine, ketamine, and other substances in his system when he was killed.
Momeni’s own lawyers have conceded that his upcoming trial—slated to begin this week—is not a matter of “whodunnit,” but is a case of “what happened,” with the defense claiming Momeni acted in self defense.
Prosecutors have argued that the slaying was premeditated—pointing to one of the last texts, sent by Elyassnia, to ever buzz Lee’s phone saying, “Just want to make sure you are ok Cause “I know nima came wayyyyy down hard on you.”
Friends of Momeni and Elyassnia have described the siblings as being “incredibly close,” and investigators have said Elyassnia hasn’t cooperated with authorities as they’ve probed Lee’s death.
Citing San Francisco cops, the New York Post reported Tuesday afternoon that Elyassnia had bailed out of jail. Her brother is due back in court on Thursday.