Ex-UFC champ Velasquez denied bail amid attempted murder allegations
Ex-two time UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will remain in jail after a judge denied him bail in his ongoing attempted murder case.
A spokesperson at Santa Clara County court confirmed the development, with Judge Shelyna Brown saying that the risk to release Velasquez on bail is "too great" due to the "extreme recklessness" of his actions which allegedly involve him firing a gun into a car containing a man accused of molesting a relative.
Arrested on February 28, Velasquez will next appear in court on April 12 said the head of communication at the legal team representing him, and can only request bail again if the district attorney either adds or drops charges from the case.
"It is clear to this court that there is clear and convincing evidence that there is a substantial likelihood that release would result in great bodily injury, not just to the named complaining witnesses in this case but to Santa Clara residents at large," Judge Brown claimed. "This case involves allegations of extreme recklessness to human life."
Outside the courthouse, Velasquez's attorney Mark Geragos asked if there is "anybody out there who would say to a father that this is not what you should do".
"Is there anybody out there who finds it beyond the pale that a father was not consulted when they released the perpetrator back into the public with zero-dollar bail, yet they're holding Cain on no bail?" added Geragos, whose other big-name clients include Michael Jackson and Chris Brown. "This is why people are disgusted – and rightfully so – with the criminal justice system."
Velasquez, 39, was formally charged with attempted murder and at least 10 other gun-related charges after allegedly chasing down a man, Harry Eugene Goularte, who is being charged with allegedly molesting one of Velasquez's young relatives.
Velasquez is said by the DA's office to have embarked on an "11 mile, high-speed chase" following Goularte's truck through San Jose, which he rammed amid firing a 40-caliber handgun numerous times into the vehicle which contained Goularte, his stepfather Paul Bender, and his mother Patricia.
Bender was struck in the arm and torso by one of the shots and suffered non-life threatening injuries, but Velasquez now faces 20 years or more in jail if convicted of his alleged crimes.
While Velasquez has been refused bail, Goularte, who is accused in Santa Clara County of performing a lewd or lascivious act upon a child under the age of 14, was released from custody on February 25 against the DA's orders.
Goularte, who lives in the same building as a day care center that his mother owns and where the alleged molestation took place, was ordered to stay in home detention, wear an electronic bracelet, and remain 100 yards away from all children aged 14 and under.
Velasquez's relative, who is under 10 years of age, told a sheriff's deputy in Santa Clara County on February 24 of how Goularte allegedly took him into the day care center's bathroom and touched the boy's genitals, as per a court document ESPN obtained.
Goularte told the child not to tell anyone what happened said the boy, who claimed that this occurred "100 times". According to the court document, the boy said he witnessed other children go in the bathroom with Goularte.
Goularte denies any wrongdoing, and said he once helped a child with his pants when noticing the child wasn't wearing them correctly with his mother also telling police that she doesn't believe the allegations lodged against her son.
Goularte is next due in court for a plea hearing the day after Velasquez on April 13, and the MMA legend has received backing from other big figures in the sport as a 'Free Cain' hashtag circulates on social media.
"Let's talk about Cain Velasquez," demanded Colby Covington after beating Jorge Masvidal in the headline bout at UFC 272 at the weekend.
I would have done the same thing if not worse #freeCainVelasquez
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) March 3, 2022
"Free Cain, man. What he did, a lot of people wouldn't have done the same thing, but I respect the s*** out of him. I mean, having your kid be molested, we talk about that all the time, that we would do [what Velasquez did].
"But he was in that situation, and he actually did it. So free Cain, much respect and love, and I hope you get out soon," Covington finished.
Elsewhere, commentator and popular podcast host Joe Rogan said that his "only wish" was that Cain had carried out his alleged attack "with his hands".
"My only wish is that he just ran the car off the road, pulled that guy out of the f***ing car, and beat him to death. F*** you," Rogan raged.
"That is a sickness. There's like a certain sickness that people have, that human beings have, as sicknesses of the mind. But that one, the molesting a f*cking baby? The molesting children is the sickest of all of those sicknesses," Rogan finished.
