Dad hunted down a man accused of molesting his 4-year-old son ‘100 times’

August 17, 2024 Gloria Shaw

A former UFC star Cain Velasquez was described by prosecutors in Santa Clara County, California, as a would-be “judge, jury and executioner” following his no contest plea to charges of attempted murder and other offenses.

The charges stem from a 2022 incident in which Velasquez engaged in a 100 mph car chase and fired shots at a truck, seeking to confront the man accused of molesting his then 4-year-old son at a daycare.

42-year-old Velasquez had been facing a potential life sentence, with the possibility of parole, had he gone to trial in September and been convicted. However, by pleading no contest, Velasquez has avoided a trial and the most severe possible outcome, although the judge retains discretion under a negotiated agreement between the state and defense. The judge could impose probation, a prison sentence, or life imprisonment when sentencing occurs.

Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen, in a statement following Velasquez’s court appearance, emphasized the severity of Velasquez’s actions.

Rosen stated that on February 28, 2022, Velasquez took matters into his own hands, hunting down 43-year-old Harry Goularte and putting innocent bystanders, including children at risk as he shot at his intended target near an elementary school.

Prosecutors alleged that Velasquez, armed with a pistol, engaged in an 11-mile high-speed chase through San Jose and opened fire on a truck carrying Goularte and two others. During the incident, Goularte’s stepfather was wounded in the shoulder.

Following his release from jail on a $1 million bond in November 2022, Velasquez expressed gratitude to those who supported him, saying, “I love all of you. Just always continuing to be better as a person, always do good things, and, yeah, just make something positive of this terrible situation.”

The defense had begun to build a case suggesting that, while Velasquez’s actions were illegal, jurors might sympathize with his motivations—a father’s rage over the repeated sexual abuse of his son.

Velasquez has also filed a lawsuit against Harry Goularte, who is accused of molesting the boy “100 times” while working at Patty’s Childcare, a daycare owned by Goularte’s mother.

Goularte, who faces felony child molestation charges, is currently out of jail but is subject to GPS monitoring, a release that prosecutors had objected to.

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Prosecutors argued that Velasquez’s vigilante actions went too far, endangering the public. They also pointed to evidence of Velasquez’s intent, citing searches on his phone for terms like “sexual assault case where victims family fights back” and “sexual assault cases where victims family retaliates.”