In a Santa Clara county courthouse on Monday, Judge Arthur Bocanegra became visibly emotional while sentencing former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez to five years in prison.
Reports indicate that the judge`s voice choked as he addressed Velasquez in court. This followed Velasquez`s no contest plea to attempted murder and other charges stemming from his 2022 arrest. The arrest was a result of an 11-mile high-speed chase after Harry Goularte, a man accused of molesting Velasquez’s young son at a daycare run by his mother.
During the pursuit, Velasquez fired several shots from a .40 caliber handgun. One of these shots hit Goularte’s stepfather, Paul Bender, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Prosecutors had requested a sentence of 30 years to life. However, Judge Bocanegra strongly disagreed, stating that “punishment takes many forms, and one of the most severe is preventing a father from being present in his child’s life.”
Judge Bocanegra considered numerous factors when deciding the sentence. While Velasquez was the perpetrator in the attempted murder case, the judge also recognized his family as victims due to the allegations of child molestation involving his young son.
During the sentencing, Bocanegra also highlighted that Velasquez had no prior criminal record and had expressed remorse for his actions in February 2022.
“This is a tragic case,” Judge Bocanegra stated in court. “Mr. Velasquez is not a threat to public safety.”
“This case is unique and unlike any other this court has overseen. The mitigating factors outweigh the aggravating factors.”
Following his arrest, Velasquez initially spent eight months in jail, with bail being repeatedly denied by a different judge.
Judge Bocanegra eventually granted Velasquez release on bail, imposing house arrest conditions including an ankle monitor and restrictions on work and travel.
Due to time already served in jail and under house arrest, Velasquez received credit for 1,283 days towards his sentence, potentially reducing his prison time to less than two years.
After the sentencing, Velasquez was briefly allowed to spend time with his family before being taken into custody.
