Cain
Velasquez was denied bail at a hearing on Monday as he awaits
trial on attempted murder charges stemming from a shooting incident
on Feb. 28.
Judge Shelya Brown issued the ruling during an arraignment at the
Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose, Calif., after
listening to arguments from Velasquez attorney Mark Geragos and
deputy district attorney Aaron French. Brown said the “risk is too
great” to release Vealsquez on bail. The former UFC heavyweight
champion is due back in court on April 12.
“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 said (transcription via
MMAFighting.com). “This case involves allegations of extreme
recklessness to human life.
“Ramming a vehicle in the middle of the day where are citizens are
out driving, going about their business and shooting out of a car
at other individuals, which is reckless by any standard. Anyone
could have been injured. Anyone could have been killed and when
this court looks at article 1, section 12, it is this level of risk
that the court must take into consideration. With that said, this
court is making the ruling that the risk is too great and that
there will be no bail set at this time.”
The 39-year-old Velasquez
is accused of attempted murder, premeditated murder and a
litany of other charges after firing a .40 handgun “multiple times”
into a truck carrying Harry Goularte, Paul Bender and Patricia
Goularte. Velasquez was targeting Harry Goularte, who allegedly
molested a close relative of the fighter’s as many as “100 times.”
Velasquez engaged in a high-speed chase through “busy streets” of
San Jose with the vehicle and fired shots, ultimately wounding
Bender, who is Harry Goularte’s stepfather.
The 43-year-old Harry Goularte had been charged with one felony
count of a lewd and lascivious act with a child under the age of 14
on Feb. 25. A judge released him from custody without bail under
the condition that he remain on home detention in Morgan Hill, stay
away from children younger than 14 and wear an electronic ankle
monitor – despite the protests of the district attorney’s office.
Goularte was on his way to pick up the tracking device when
Velasquez attacked the vehicle.
During the hearing, Velasquez’s attorney argued that Velasquez
wasn’t a flight risk and displayed 37 letters of support for the
UFC veteran. The district attorney, meanwhile, provided a statement
from Patricia Goularte, who called 911 during the incident and
claimed that the family was traumatized by Velasquez’s actions.