Is Cain Velasquez's criminal punishment over? Every update since the former UFC champ was released from jail
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez had been granted a requested delay in the legal proceedings regarding his attempted murder hearing. The last hearing for the case took place in May 2023. Judge Panteha Seban of the Santa Clara County Court granted the delay request and set the next hearing for August 2, 2023. This was the third delay request granted by the court in the alleged attempted murder case. As of now, there is no data available on the Aug. 2 hearing.
For the uninitiated, Cain Velasquez allegedly chased a man named Harry Goularte on February 28, 2022, for 11 miles and shot at the vehicle in Santa Clara County, California. However, an unintended victim, Goularte’s stepfather was non-fatally wounded in the firing. Harry Goularte has been accused of sexually molesting Velasquez’s son at the daycare center run by his mother.
Velasquez was arrested and the charge of first-degree murder was booked against him in the Santa Clara County Jail. Several additional charges were leveled against the former UFC champion. In totality, Velasquez spent eight months in jail and was denied bail several times as he was deemed a risk to public safety.
On November 8, 2022, Cain Velasquez was granted a $1 million bail. He will be put under house arrest for the duration of the trial. However, the 40-year-old was allowed to travel to Tempe, Arizona to perform at the Lucha Libre pro wrestling event.
Civil lawsuit was filed against the man Cain Velasquez tried to kill
Harry Goularte was first arrested in February 2022 and released on a $50,000 bail. Velasquez chased and shot the alleged molester three days after he was granted bail. A civil lawsuit claiming action against Goularte was filed on behalf of Velasquez’s son on June 29, 2022. Goularte’s mother and stepfather, who run the daycare center where the boy was molested, are also the co-accused in the civil lawsuit. Similar to the felony charges against Cain Velasquez, the trial has been delayed on several occasions so far.
Goularte has pleaded not guilty to one felony count of lewd act with a child for allegedly molesting Velasquez’s then 4-year-old son. If found guilty, Goularte will face up to an eight-year jail term and/or $10,000 in fines. Goularte last appeared in court virtually in July 2023.