Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez suing man he allegedly tried to kill for allegedly molesting his son
Former UFC star Cain Velasquez is suing the man he allegedly tried to kill in March for allegedly molesting Velasquez's son, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In the civil lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of a minor, the Velasquez family claims that Harry Goularte, 43, molested Velasquez's 4-year-old son at a home daycare in San Martin, California. Goularte's mother and stepfather, Paul Bender, as well as the daycare, are also named in the lawsuit, according to the Times:
The Velasquez family claims Harry Goularte was allowed to spend time alone with the minor and other children on the property, including time he spent with children in a bathroom and a playhouse for extended periods of time. The child-care business and its owners “fostered and maintained an environment” where the children could be molested, sexually abused and harassed, the Velasquez family said in its lawsuit. Velasquez’s son spent five days a week at the home from 2021 to 2022, according to the complaint filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court this week.
The lawsuit accuses Goularte, 43, and his family of negligence, sexual battery and several other claims.
... In court, Velazquez’s attorney, Mark Geragos, identified the minor as Velasquez’s son. Goularte allegedly touched the boy “100 times” and other children were seen going into a bathroom at the child-care home with Goularte, Geragos said in court.
Goularte was charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a minor by the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office in late February and was released two days later into a supervised program. That's when Velasquez allegedly followed Goularte and his family by car before firing a 40-caliber semiautomatic handgun at them, wounding Bender.
Velasquez, 39, was arrested the next day and charged with attempted murder and multiple gun assault charges. He was denied bail twice, most recently on May 16 for what the judge called "reckless disregard for human life." Velasquez returns to court in August and faces 20 years in prison if convicted.
MMA community on Velasquez's side
Many of Velasquez's contemporaries have publicly supported him since his arrest, including UFC president Dana White, and fighters Kamaru Usman, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier.
"I have known Mr. Velasquez for more than 15 years, and during his time as an active athlete with UFC, he represented our company with dignity and always treated others with respect," White wrote in his letter, via ESPN. "He was a model example of how a professional athlete should carry himself, projecting a positive image to UFC's fanbase."
"Cain has helped me on more occasions than I can count," Cormier wrote in his letter, via ESPN. "Like me, he is a father and husband so he knows the demand of trying to do it all. Throughout the years, he has traveled with me, supported me, and even helped me prepare for a coaching job at the high school while I retired from my fighter career. Cain has taken it upon himself to help every chance he gets. During the pandemic when many gyms and restaurants were closed, Cain opened his home and provided a place for wrestlers to train and eat. He even housed them."
Velasquez released a statement in April thanking those who support him and offered his own support for the "true victims" of this case.
— Cain Velasquez (@cainmma) April 12, 2022
Velasquez is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion after defeating Brock Lesnar in 2010 and Junior dos Santos in 2012. He defended his title two more times before losing it in 2015. Velasquez's last UFC match was a loss to current heavyweight champion Frances Ngannou. He retired from professional mixed martial arts in 2019 before moving over to professional wrestling.
