Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez entered a plea of no contest to felony tried murder, assault and multiple munitions charges in a California court Friday in exchange for a lighter judgment .
Velasquez, 42, was facing an tried murder trial for a February 2022 incident when he allegedly shot constantly at a man indicted of molesting his son– but ended up wounding the man’s stepfather rather– after a high- speed auto chase. He entered the plea before Judge Arthur Bocanegra at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose, California. According to the Mercury News, the former champion was listed to begin trial Sept. 9.
A sentencing hail is set for Oct. 18, but the factual sentencing is anticipated to do at a after date. As a result of the plea, the premeditated murder charges against him will be dropped, which means he’ll no longer face a obligatory judgment of life in captivity with the possibility of parole. ” This defendant decided to come judge, jury, and cutthroat. His conduct risked innocent onlookers, including youthful children and their parents who could have been injured or killed as he shot at his intended victim,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement.”
We’ve excellent law enforcement in this county. Let them do their jobs.” Velasquez was indicted of shooting at a volley truck carrying Harry Goularte– the man indicted of molesting Velasquez’s also-4-year-old son at a day care possessed by Goularte’s mama — during an 11- afar auto chase on the autumn of Feb. 28, 2022. Velasquez reportedly fired multiple rounds at the vehicle with a.40- quality handgun that missed his willed target and struck Bender in the arm and torso.
Velasquez was arrested without incident following the auto chase. He was released from jail in November 2022 on$ 1 million bail while awaiting trial. Goularte continues to face child botheration charges. The county exploration department will produce a sentencing recommendation in the coming months that weighs the inflexibility of the incident with Velasquez’s lack of a felonious history and the sexual abuse case involving his son.
