Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been sentenced to five years in prison for a dramatic 2022 shooting incident that stemmed from allegations his young son was sexually abused. The sentencing took place Monday, March 24, in Santa Clara County after Velasquez, 42, pleaded no contest to charges of attempted murder, felony assault, and multiple gun-related offenses.
According to prosecutors, Velasquez launched into what they called a “vigilante shooting spree,” recklessly firing a registered handgun during a high-speed chase that endangered not only his target, but also nearby schoolchildren and bystanders.
“This was a vigilante shooting spree that wounded an unintended target and sprayed bullets near a school crowded with children, teachers, and parents,” the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
The incident occurred on February 28, 2022, when Velasquez pursued a vehicle carrying Harry Goularte—a man accused of molesting Velasquez’s then four-year-old son. The chase unfolded in San Jose, California, with Velasquez allegedly ramming the truck and opening fire at a busy Morgan Hill intersection near a charter school.
Despite firing multiple rounds, Velasquez missed his intended target. Instead, he struck Goularte’s 63-year-old stepfather, who suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and torso, including a severed brachial artery. That victim survived the shooting.
Investigators later found troubling search history on Velasquez’s phone, including queries such as “sexual assault case where victims’ family fights back” and “sexual assault cases where victims’ family retaliates.”
Goularte, 46, had been released from jail just days before the shooting after being arraigned on felony child molestation charges. He was placed on home detention with GPS monitoring—a decision made over the District Attorney’s objections.
Velasquez was arrested following the shooting and taken into custody again after Monday’s sentencing. Due to credit for time served, he is expected to serve about one additional year behind bars, according to KTVU Fox 2.
Goularte still faces ongoing felony charges related to the alleged abuse.
In a pointed statement, District Attorney Jeff Rosen warned against vigilantism: “One man’s decision to take the law into his own hands left an innocent man wounded and endangered schoolchildren, teachers, and many others in our community. If you want to do justice in Santa Clara County, please apply for a badge.”