In the case of former two time UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez, his battle in the courts is at the defense of the one of three most important people in his life…his youngest son, born in 2018.
On February 28, 2022, Velazquez shot at a man in a vehicle in Santa Clara County, California with a .40 caliber handgun. Velasquez missed his target, and struck the other individual in the car in the arm and torso. The shootings occurred after Velasquez had already chased the vehicle down, and rammed the vehicle with his truck.
The intended target was a man named Harry Goularte Jr., an employee at a daycare center. Goularte was in the vehicle with his stepfather, Paul Bender, and mother, Patty Bender, and his stepfather was the individual shot by Velasquez. Goularte had previously been arrested for allegations of committing sexual abuse on Velasquez’s son, but was released on a personal recognizance bond.
Velasquez changed his plea to no contest in August of 2024, and was sentenced to five years in prison, with an additional four years of supervised probation upon completion of his jail time. Spending a year in prison after his arrest, and two additional years on house arrest, Velasquez received credit for 1,283 days served, reducing his second stint in prison to just under 18 months (approximately 542 days).
We have seen stories like this as inspiration for episodes of crime dramas such as NCIS, Chicago PD, Criminal Minds, and countless others. Theatre and stage will never tell the story as accurately as reality will.
Velasquez was arrested without incident , and jailed on an attempted first-degree murder charge. After several continuances, Velasquez issued a plea of not guilty on July 20, 2022 for not only the murder charge, but shooting at a motor vehicle (one count), assault with a firearm (three counts), assault with a deadly weapon (three counts), unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle (one count), and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony (one count). On two separate occasions Velasquez was denied bail, but was finally granted to the tune of $1 million on November 8, 2022.
During that time, Velasquez remained behind bars in Santa Clara County. Upon his release, Velasquez was forced to wear an ankle monitor, and was put under heavy supervision. Being a combat sports fighter, Velasquez was granted permissions to travel under the supervision of law enforcement to earn a living, most notably a professional wrestling event in Phoenix, Arizona for the Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide promotion, the most famous promotion based in Mexico. The ankle monitor was removed while Velasquez performed in the ring, but was immediately put back on afterwards.
Goularte pleaded not guilty to his charges in June of 2022, and his trial hearings continue to be pushed back via continuances. Velasquez filed a civil suit against Goularte and the Benders in June 2022, as the daycare was run by the Benders.
The now 42-year-old Velasquez retired from the UFC in 2019, after losing to Frances Ngannou in 26 seconds. Velasquez was known best for his two title reigns, which saw a legendary trilogy of bouts with Junior Dos Santos, but ending the mystique that was Brock Lesnar. A two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State, Velasquez had a counter for everything the dominant Lesnar could muster early, and finished with a highlight-reel knockout. In fact, the stoppage was the UFC’s Knockout of the Year for 2010.
Velasquez cannot be excused for his actions, and deserves his sentencing. Even if none of the shots had struck anyone in the car, Velasquez would be seeing time behind bars. Yet surprisingly enough, neither he nor anyone else familiar with this story seem to be offering up remorse for his actions. Goularte is receiving his due process through the legal system, as fractured as it may be in its current state. Should he be found guilty in the criminal proceedings, the civil case brought against his family would be the least of Goularte’s worries. We have all heard the stories of what happens to sexual offenders in prison, especially when the victims are underage.
Ask Larry Nassar how his time in federal prison in Florida went. Nassar was stabbed 10 times by another inmate, and was transferred to a maximum security prison in Pennsylvania in 2023. Nassar is not eligible for parole until 2068.
Between his popularity as a UFC fighter, his public persona outside of the cage, and the vigilante retribution for his son, Velasquez would be a hero in prison. There would be many on the outside that would find justification for his actions, but you have to know that Goularte will see his judgment soon in the eyes of the law, which does not exonerate Velaquez in any fashion.
-JC24
-JC24