Cain Velasquez pleads ‘no contest’ after shooting spree – NBC Bay Area

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez pleaded guilty Friday to carrying out a shooting spree that injured an unintended target and fired shots near an elementary school.

During a high-speed chase on crowded streets in Morgan Hill and San Jose in February 2022, the 42-year-old fired a pistol multiple times at a truck carrying three people, including 43-year-old Harry Goularte, who is accused of sexually assaulting Velasquez's four-year-old relative at a San Martin daycare center.

One of the bullets hit the driver and injured his arm.

As part of a plea agreement, Velasquez pleaded no contest to attempted murder, aggravated assault and other related weapons offenses, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.

A date for the verdict has not yet been set.

“This defendant decided to be judge, jury and executioner. By his actions, he endangered innocent bystanders, including young children and their parents, who could have been injured or killed when he shot his intended victim,” said District Attorney Jeff Rosen.

Velasquez began shooting at the victims at an intersection. He then rammed their vehicle and fired more shots, hitting the driver as they drove past the Charter School of Morgan Hill, which was finishing its school year.

During a 11-mile (17.7-kilometer) high-speed chase that then continued into San Jose, Velasquez fired several shots from his registered .40-caliber pistol.

His target was unharmed in the attack. Velasquez was eventually stopped and arrested by Morgan Hill police.

A search of the suspect's phone found search terms for “sexual assault cases where the victim's family fights back” and “sexual assault cases where the victim's family fights back.”

Goularte is charged with child abuse. Goularte is no longer in custody after a judge released him on his own recognizance with GPS monitoring under the supervised release program, despite the prosecutor's objections.