SAN JOSE, Calif. — Former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is speaking out from jail.
"To everyone that has expressed your support, my family and I will never be able to thank you enough," Velasquez said in a statement posted from his Twitter account.
He is charged with attempted murder and multiple gun assault charges after authorities said he fired at a pickup truck carrying a man accused of sexually abusing a 4-year-old family member.
Velasquez was arrested after he allegedly chased a pickup that the suspect was in, ramming the vehicle with his own pickup truck during the high-speed chase.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney says the suspect was on his way to get fitted for an electronic monitoring bracelet after being indicted on felony molestation charges.
The suspect was not injured in the incident. However, a 63-year-old relative of the suspect suffered a gunshot wound.
"This story is complex and slowly unraveling as we speak," Velasquez said.
The former mixed martial arts fighter also had a message for potential victims of the suspect he attempted to shoot.
"To the true victims of this case, may God give you the strength to come forward," he said. "Though it is most difficult to relive the pain that has happened to you, in speaking the truth, justice will be served and your own true healing will start."
Velasquez will remain in jail for the time being. He was denied bail at his initial hearing in March.
