Crime

The intended target in the Cain Velasquez shooting on Monday was a man who allegedly molested one of the UFC legend's family members ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Multiple sources tell us the person who Velasquez opened fire at near a school in San Jose, CA. earlier this week was the man who was accused of repeatedly sexually abusing Cain's close relative.

We're told the man lived at a home that hosts a daycare where Cain's young family member attended. Sources say the man allegedly molested Velasquez's relative there and was ultimately arrested and charged with one felony count of a lewd and lascivious act with a child under the age of 14 last week over the allegations.

The man, however, was granted a release from custody following an arraignment hearing last Friday despite strong opposition from the district attorney's office.

Our sources say the release infuriated Velasquez so much, he attempted to take justice into his own hands and shoot the man while he was in a car outside of a local school.

Velasquez was arrested and booked on a felony charge of attempted murder for the actions.

The former UFC fighter -- who has wins over Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos on his resume -- is due in court for a hearing on the matter later Wednesday.

Sources say he is expected to be formally charged by the DA's office prior to the court hearing.

Juli Boeheim -- the wife of legendary college basketball coach Jim Boeheim -- was robbed at gunpoint in Syracuse on Tuesday, according to local reports.

Boeheim was sitting in her car in the Destiny USA parking lot at around 2 PM ... when a minor approached her and started a conversation, per Syracuse.com.

A short time after, cops say the boy pointed a gun at Boeheim, reached into her car and grabbed her purse.

The boy then ran off with the purse and fled the scene with two accomplices in a car that was reported stolen, according to the report.

Luckily for Boeheim, she was not injured during the incident.

A search for potential suspects is underway ... and Syracuse cops are asking for anyone with additional information to call 315-442-5222.

Juli is co-founder of the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation, which helps young kids fight cancer in the New York area.

Juli and Jim first met at the Kentucky Derby in 1994 ... and were married in 1997.

UFC legend Cain Velasquez spent Monday night in jail ... TMZ Sports has confirmed the 39-year-old has been arrested and booked on an attempted murder charge.

Details surrounding the specifics of his arrest are unclear -- though law enforcement sources tell us the former fighter was involved in a shooting in San Jose at around 3 PM near a local high school.

In the alleged incident, one person was shot while another was arrested. Nothing further surrounding the circumstances of the situation has been released.

Jail records show Velasquez is still in custody as of Tuesday morning ... and has a court date set for Wednesday at noon.

Velasquez -- who was born and raised in Northern California -- is one of the best heavyweight MMA fighters in the history of the sport. During his reign, Cain beat everyone from Brock Lesnar to Junior dos Santos.

After parting ways following his last loss to Francis Ngannou, Cain spent several months with WWE (he's a huge wrestling fan).

Cain trains at the famed American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) gym with Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov, among other MMA stars.

Before getting into mixed martial arts, Velasquez was a star collegiate wrestler at Arizona State University. He was a 2x All-American.

Simon Leviev -- AKA the "Tinder Swindler" -- is now in the crosshairs of the extremely wealthy diamond-titan family that he pretended to be a part of ... they've just filed a criminal court complaint against him.

Guy Ophir -- lawyer for the true Leviev family -- says charges were filed Monday morning in Israel against Simon, telling us justice must be served for the malice brought against the Leviev name.

The legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- outline the ways in which Simon allegedly took advantage of the family, including most notably changing his name from Shimon Yehuda Hayut to Simon Leviev to give the appearance of wealth ... Simon claimed to be a part of a wealthy family, with ties to the diamond industry.

Ophir tells TMZ ... according to Israel law, only the state can file criminal charges ... but there is an exception to the rule -- in cases of "Malice Defamation" like this one.

In these cases, the person that was hurt can file a private criminal charge and ask for criminal punishment. By using the Leviev family name, Ophir claims Simon committed malice defamation and malice invasion of privacy.

He says this is the first step in an "all-out legal war" that the family's instructed him to unleash against Simon and everyone that will join venture with him -- past, present and future.

Ophir mentions, "The Leviev family intend[s] to donate the money that they will receive to all the victims of his crimes."

Another Memphis rapper has been shot and killed ... just in the last few months.

Snootie Wild succumbed to his injuries after being shot Friday in Houston. His death was announced Saturday night on his Instagram page ... "Gone in body, but your NAME & LEGACY will live forever! #TeamYayo4Life."

Wild was shot in the neck ... discovered laying in a ditch, beside an SUV. A Houston cop told the ABC Houston station, "It looks like he backed in there accidentally. Then the other vehicle pulled up, and folks got out of the car," adding "They were talking for a little bit, and then all of a sudden, gunfire went off. Only one shot, actually."

He was rushed to a hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.

You'll recall, Young Dolph was shot and killed in Memphis outside a bakery in a clear ambush. Three people have been arrested, but Gotti was not implicated.

The Union of European Football Associations is not playing around -- the soccer org. is taking swift action and is expected to move its Champions League Final out of Russia after the country launched an attack on Ukraine.

The Final was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 28 at Krestsovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg ... but according to reports, that's no longer the case.

UEFA wasted no time kickstarting the search for a replacement host shortly after the news broke ... releasing a statement saying the matter will be addressed on Friday.

The org. released a statement ... saying, "Following the evolution of the situation between Russia and Ukraine, the UEFA president has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee for 10 a.m. CET [4 a.m. ET] on Friday 25 February."

UEFA officials say the purpose of the meeting is "to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions" ... and that they'll release further information after the conclusion of the conference.

The governing body for European football expressed serious concern over what's happening between the neighboring countries ... condemning Russia's military-style invasion of Ukraine.

"UEFA shares the international community’s significant concern for the security situation developing in Europe," the Union said in a statement.

The statement continued ... "As the governing body of European football, we are dealing with this situation with the utmost seriousness and urgency."

Donny Davis, the beloved entertainer who has performed with Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and many other stars, may have died as a result of foul play ... this according to Vegas cops.

TMZ broke the story ... Donny was found dead Tuesday in his room at Resorts World.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Donny and another man hung out with 2 women at the Dawg House bar at the hotel at around 1 AM. The women took the party to the Flamingo, but came back to Resort World at around 2:30 AM and beelined it for the bar.  One of the women told cops, the bartender would not serve Donny because he was too intoxicated.

The man and Davis went back to Donny's room at around 3:30 AM.

The other man left the room at around 4:20 AM and came back to the room at 5 AM with one of the women, when they noticed Donny sitting in a chair and his hands looked pale and pink and began turning purple. The woman said Donny's hands were "freezing" and he was not breathing.

They moved him to the bed and placed him on his side ... then called security, who in turn called 911. Donny was taken to Sunrise Hospital where he was declared dead just after 7 AM.

As for why cops suspect foul play ... we're told it was the number of people who were in the room. Also, according to the police report, the male would not speak with cops but instead said he wanted to speak to an attorney. Cops say they had trouble getting information from those in the room.

Donny was a staple in Vegas and, in addition to performing with Britney and Miley, he performed with Seth McFarland, Mariah Carey, Joe Jonas, Kelly Osbourne and Hayden Panettiere. He was also the star at Beacher's Madhouse for 2 decades.

The assault on Ukraine has sent thousands of Ukrainians running for cover and fleeing as bombs drop on innocent civilians.

As you know by now, Russia has brazenly attacked Ukraine from all angles, and its citizens -- who up till now were shockingly calm -- are now dealing with an impossible situation. Try to survive the attack, or get out.

The video (above) is shocking ... a Russian fighter jet buzzes a home in Ukraine and drops a bomb either right near or on a house. You hear children wailing in fear inside the building.

Traffic is snarled in what looks like a never-ending line of cars as people flee Kyiv.

And, the train station has become a bomb shelter ... jam-packed with hundreds of people huddled together. Look at the faces, the families and the fear.

The questions now ... how far will Putin go? And, how much will the Ukrainians fight to preserve their homeland? Putin has brazenly lied about his act of war, suggesting Ukraine has some sort of Nazi influence. It's a ridiculous statement ... the President of Ukraine is Jewish, and the only aggressor here is Russia.

Matt Hutchins, husband of Halyna Hutchins, shook his head in disgust as he recounted how he felt when he heard Alec Baldwin talk about how he was grief-stricken over Halyna's death but accepted no responsibility.

Matt begs to differ, telling Hoda Kotb on "Today" it was absurd for the person who fired the bullet that killed his wife was blameless, and the way Baldwin described his pain further angered Matt.

He also explained how he told his 9-year-old son that his mother was dead. He said, "I just had to be very direct and blunt," said Hutchins... "because going to pick him up and go to the airport to go to Santa Fe, I didn’t want him to think that we were going to be seeing her and having fun together, and getting his hopes up." He then describes how they cried together.

As for the moment when they landed in Santa Fe and were embraced by Baldwin, Matt says, "I feel like to understand that moment, you have to remember the shock we were in. I spoke with Mr. Baldwin and was just looking for a way through the storm."

Baldwin has maintained he did not pull the trigger, and there seems to be divided thought on whether such a gun can fire with only the hammer or whether the trigger is required.

Matt says there were numerous safety lapses and says there were "multiple responsible parties."

Matt and his son have filed against Baldwin and many others ... even asking for punitive damages for alleged reckless conduct that led to Halyna's death.

Alec Baldwin might be regretting that ABC interview he did right about now -- because it seems to have, in part, triggered Halyna Hutchins' husband's wrath.

Matt Hutchins sat down for an interview with NBC's "Today" -- talking to Hoda Kotb -- which will be aired later this week ... and right off the bat in a new teaser, he's saying Baldwin's televised recounting pissed him off.

He says hearing AB talk about her death so publicly, so soon and in so much detail made him "angry," and not just that ... but the fact he denied responsibility over her death also didn't sit well with Matt at all.

As his wrongful death lawsuit had already spelled out -- and as his attorneys articulated thereafter -- Matt says it again here ... the idea that the person who held the gun that claimed her life isn't at fault is utterly absurd in his mind.

So yes, he does seem to think Baldwin is mostly to blame here. However, Matt also makes this clear ... there were other issues besides gun safety that led to his wife being killed, and it sounds like he's gonna get into all of that with Hoda.

As we told you ... Matt is suing Alec, among several other parties, for negligent and reckless misconduct that resulted in wrongful death, as well as loss of consortium. He’s asking for unspecified damages.

Megan Thee Stallion is ripping into Tory Lanez, after he called her a liar, by posting what she claims is proof he begged for forgiveness for shooting her.

Tory was supposed to be in court Wednesday regarding the 2020 shooting incident that left Megan Thee Stallion seriously injured, but the date was pushed to April. After the hearing, he tweeted ... "u can't buy and tweet your way out of this one ..not today" -- seemingly referring to Megan.

Well, she quickly, and strongly, responded on Instagram.

The post, which she's since deleted, included alleged text messages from Tory ... showing him apologizing.

Megan added in her caption ... "Lie yo way out of this … if you aint do s*** what you was apologizing for? THEY GOT YOU RECORDED ON THE JAIL PHONE TALKING TO KELSEY APOLOGIZING BEGGING US NOT TO TALK."

Kelsey is the former friend of Megan's who was also in the SUV the night of the shooting.

Tory didn't seem to back down from this feud, tweeting his explanation for the apology -- "Good D**k had me f***ing 2 best friends .... and I got caught 🤷🏾‍♂️ ... that's what I apologized 4."

Translation: He allegedly had sex with Megan and Kelsey, and they were the ones arguing over him.

You'll recall ... Tory, Megan and Kelsey were party hopping in Hollywood when police responded to shots fired in their vehicle. After Megan got out with a bloodied foot -- and cops finding a weapon under Tory's seat -- he was arrested and eventually charged with possession of a concealed weapon and assault with a firearm.

Jon Jones violently bashed his head into a cop car and called an officer a "f***ing nerd" during his arrest on the Las Vegas strip back in September ... new police video shows.

In the footage, Jones -- who was in handcuffs and surrounded by cops following an alleged altercation with his fiancee at a nearby hotel -- was clearly furious with officers, screaming at them relentlessly.

The UFC superstar can be heard in the clip asking why he was being detained ... before he launched a verbal tirade against one of the cops standing next to him.

Jones repeatedly called the man a "nerd" ... asking for his name over and over again. Jones also accused the cop and other officers of embarrassing him on an important night for him (his epic 2013 fight against Alexander Gustafsson was being inducted into the Hall of Fame).

Video shows Jones got so upset with the police -- he actually slammed his forehead into the hood of the police cruiser he was being held up against.

At that point, officers rushed him away, chastising him for the move.

As we reported, Jones was being arrested after he was accused of getting physical with his fiancee and pulling her hair at around 5 AM at Caesars Palace on Sept. 24.

Jones was ultimately hit with misdemeanor domestic battery and felony tampering with a vehicle over the incident ... though court records showed officials dropped the misdemeanor count against the fighter in December after he pled no contest to a misdemeanor charge of destroying property of another.

As part of his sentencing, records showed the 34-year-old was ordered to stay out of trouble, pay restitution to the victim, and take anger management counseling.

Rapper Slim Jxmmi's battery case has been dropped ... after the alleged victim recanted her allegations ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal documents -- obtained by TMZ -- prosecutors in Florida say they do not have a good faith basis to file any battery charges against the rapper. Prosecutors say Slim's girlfriend backtracked on her initial battery claim, quickly saying it wasn't true.

You'll recall ... law enforcement sources told us Slim was arrested late January in Miami-Dade County, FL after his girlfriend called the cops, claiming he was upset with her and allegedly ripped hair extensions from her scalp.

But, according to the docs, not long after his arrest, Slim's GF took back her statement, saying he never put a hand on her.

More trouble for ex-NFL running back Zac Stacy ... TMZ Sports has learned he's been hit with five more criminal charges, these stemming from an alleged August attack on his ex.

According to court records, Stacy was hit with three misdemeanor domestic violence battery charges last week, as well as two misdemeanor criminal mischief charges.

In court documents, officials say the charges stem from an Aug. 16, 2021 incident with his ex-girlfriend, Kristin Evans -- the same woman Stacy was seen on video brutalizing in November 2021.

Officials did not specifically spell out the allegations against Stacy in the docs ... but Evans previously claimed in a restraining order application in Florida that the former football player had flown into a violent rage over rent money back in August.

"He physically assaulted me several times because he wanted the money back he gave me for our rent," Evans wrote in the application.

"He punched my legs, slapped me, picked me up by my arms, and threw me into my window, which broke. I had glass in my feet that I removed myself."

Evans provided TMZ Sports photos of the injuries she says she suffered in the alleged attack ... showing large bruises and cuts on her body.

Stacy is due for a hearing on the new charges in Orange County, Fla. court next month.

A man driving a white SUV was arrested by cops in San Diego after he was busted doing donuts on the field at Petco Park!!

😄😄😄😄

The incident went down Friday morning around 10 AM ... as the grounds crew was working to restore the field for the upcoming (fingers crossed?) baseball season, according to the San Diego Tribune.

Check out the video. The driver is seen doing donuts on the field before members of the grounds crew realized what was happening, blocking him from leaving the field using a small forklift until San Diego Police Department arrived.

Thankfully, a man named Ryan Carlson happened to be at the ballpark to witness the action ... and was fast enough to grab his phone and get some video of the crazy scene.

The driver was ultimately apprehended -- bringing his "thrill ride" to an end -- and charged for felony vandalism for "causing some damage to the field," according to the newspaper.

Cops tell TMZ Sports they are investigating the junior hockey player who violently punched a referee during a game in Massachusetts on Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Foxborough Police Dept. confirmed on Tuesday that cops were called to the Foxborough Sports Center at around 2:22 PM on Sunday after a member of the South Shore Kings had unloaded a right hand into the face of a ref in the middle of a game.

Cops tell us they have yet to determine if there is a "criminal element" ... but did say they are aware of the video of the punch and are currently interviewing all of the involved parties.

"At this time no further information will be released," the spokesperson said, "as it is still under investigation."

As we previously reported, the United States Premier Hockey League hit the player with a lifetime ban from its league over the punch.