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Cain Velasquez Officially Charged After Allegedly Trying To Kill Man Accused Of Molesting His Relative
Officials say former UFC champion Cain Velasquez "chose to take the law into his own hands" when he allegedly chased down and fired at a truck carrying a man accused of molesting one of the fighter's close relatives.
Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez has been formally charged after allegedly trying to kill a man accused of molesting one of his young relatives.
The 39-year-old heavyweight champion was arraigned on Wednesday “for shooting a man in an attempt to murder another man who has been charged with molesting Velasquez’s close family member,” according to a statement from the Santa Clara County District Attorney.
Velasquez had been arrested at the scene of a Bay Area shooting on Monday, and booked into Santa Clara County jail for attempted murder, according to the San José Police Department.
The district attorney’s office claims that Velasquez “fired a handgun multiple times into a truck carrying Harry Goularte, and two older relatives and rammed the truck with his truck.”
Goularte’s 63-year-old relative, identified as his stepfather, was struck once and he is expected to survive. He was the driver of the truck, a Silverado.
Velasquez allegedly began shooting at the victims while driving, following the victims’ truck for 11 miles. The pursuit became a “high speed chase through busy streets into San Jose,” before authorities say Velasquez “rammed his truck into the Silverado and fired multiple rounds with his registered .40 handgun.”
A woman inside the truck called 911 for help.
Velasquez has been hit with 10 felony charges, including attempted, premeditated murder, one count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, three counts of assault with a firearm, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of willfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle and one count carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony, according to People.
Investigators say he was trying to shoot and kill Goularte, who is facing felony charges that he molested a child. He was arraigned in Santa Clara County Superior Court on in February and “a judge released him from custody without bail over the District Attorney’s objections,” according to the district attorney’s office. He was on his way to get an electronic monitoring bracelet, part of the conditions of his bail, when the truck he was in was ambushed.
The alleged abuse happened at a Santa Clara County daycare center run by Goularte’s mother; Goularte lived on the property where the daycare is located, The Denver Post reports.
“The sad tragedy is that Mr. Velasquez chose to take the law into his own hands, endangering the public and everyone in the truck,” Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen stated on Wednesday. “This act of violence also causes more pain and suffering to his family.”
Velasquez is being held without bail. It’s not clear if he has a lawyer.
According to CBS Sports, Velasquez is considered among MMA's greatest heavyweights. He earned a UFC heavyweight championship after beating Brock Lesnar in a first-round TKO in 2010. He retired from MMA in 2019. Following his retirement, Velasquez wrestled for WWE, fighting Lesnar again in 2019 in Saudi Arabia, the New York Post reports.
He was let go from the WWE in 2020, apparently as a result of COVID-19 budget cuts. His Instagram account shows pictures of him wrestling for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide in December.
