VIDEO footage: Cain Velasquez chases down alleged child abuser
Exclusive video obtained by NBC Bay Area shows what appears to be former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez chasing after the man he allegedly shot Tuesday. He is now facing attempted murder charges and made his first court appearance Wednesday. Robert Handa reports.
Cain Velasquez remains in a Santa Clara County main jail, with his preliminary hearing pushed back until Monday at the request of his attorney.
The former UFC heavyweight champion has been charged with attempted murder (one count), shooting at a motor vehicle or aircraft (one count), assault with a firearm (three counts), assault with a deadly weapon (three counts), willfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle (one count), and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony (one count).
If found guilty of attempted murder, Velasquez faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison.
Velasquez, 39, followed the parents of Harry Goularte, 43, from their home as they were picking up their son, who last week was arrested and charged with molesting a close underage relative of Velasquez, but was out on bail. After the parents picked him up, Velasquez continued following them and shot into the vehicle.
Goularte’s father was hit in the arm by a bullet from a .40 caliber pistol and his injuries are considering non-life threatening.
“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 County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “This act of violence also causes more pain and suffering to his family.”
Cain Velasquez is former two-time UFC heavyweight champion who left the sport with a record of 14-3. He holds notable wins over former champions Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, among others. He last competed in MMA in February 2019 where he suffered a first round loss to current champion Francis Ngannou. Velasquez later began professional wrestling and spent some time with the WWE.
