Former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has pleaded no contest to attempted murder charges against him. On February 28, 2022, Velasquez allegedly shot at a man in Santa Clara County. The man he allegedly shot at, identified as Harry Goularte Jr., had been arrested before the shooting occurred. Goularte Jr. allegedly sexually abused Velasquez’s four-year-old son at a daycare owned by the Goularte family but regained his freedom due to a personal recognizance bond.
An angry and armed Cain Velasquez chased after Goularte’s vehicle, allegedly rammed into it with his car, before shooting at Goularte; however, he missed his target and hit Goularte’s stepfather, who was also in the vehicle. Goularte’s stepfather sustained non-life-threatening injuries following the shooting. Meanwhile, neither Goularte nor his mom, who was also in the vehicle, were hurt.
Cain Velasquez’s Arrest And Charges
After the shooting, Cain Velasquez was arrested and held in custody at the Santa Clara County jail. The UFC fighter was formally charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder. He also received a one-count charge of shooting at a motor vehicle, three counts of assault with a firearm, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of willfully discharging a firearm for a vehicle, and one count of carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony. Velasquez spent time in jail but was released in November 2022 after posting a bail of $1 million.
Cain Velasquez Takes Plea Deal
Following months of court hearings and legal battles, Cain Velasquez pleaded no contest to all the charges against him in exchange for a yet-to-be-determined lighter sentence. According to reports, Velasquez took the plea deal before Judge Arthur Bocanegra at the Santa Clara Hall of Justice in San Jose, California. Due to Velasquez’s no-contest plea, the premeditated murder charges against him will be dropped and he will avoid a mandatory life sentence in prison.
Cain Velasquez’s Sentencing
According to Robert Salonga of The Mercury News, a hearing for Cain Velasquez’s sentencing is scheduled for October 18; however, his actual sentencing is expected to be held much later in the year. Salonga further shared that the Santa Clara County probation department will give a sentence recommendation report. The report will weigh the severity of Velasquez’s crime and consider potential mitigating factors, including his lack of criminal history and the sexual abuse case in which his son is a reported victim, which led to his actions. Velasquez’s camp will be hoping the odds are in his favor and that he gets a lighter sentence following his no-contest plea.
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