The family of Mark Sanchez has spoken out for the first time since the ex-NFL star was stabbed and then arrested over an incident that has rocked the sports world.
Sanchez was hospitalized following a violent alleyway altercation with a truck driver in Indianapolis in the early hours of Saturday morning. But the Fox Sports analyst is now facing six years in prison after being hit with felony charges.
Sanchez has yet to give his side of the story – at least publicly – but on Monday evening his brother, Nick, revealed that the former quarterback is still ‘under medical care.’
They also opened up on the impact the incident has had on the Sanchez family.
‘This has been a deeply distressing time for everyone involved. Mark and our family are incredibly grateful for the concern, love, and support we’ve received over the past few days,’ he told TMZ.
‘Mark remains under medical care for the serious injuries he sustained and is focused on his recovery as the legal process continues. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the first responders and medical staff.’
Attorneys working on Sanchez’s behalf have filed a motion to waive Tuesday’s scheduled pretrial hearing and enter a plea of not guilty.
The 38-year-old was detained – while still in the hospital – on allegations of battery with injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication.
But prosecutors have since upgraded the charges to a Level 5 felony battery of causing serious injury.
Meanwhile, the alleged victim – identified as Perry Tole – has filed a lawsuit against Sanchez and Fox.
Based on hotel security footage and testimony from Tole, identified only as PT in the lawsuit, Sanchez is accused of drunkenly accosting the driver, who was attempting to back his truck into a hotel’s loading dock.
Tole told police that Sanchez pursued him, entered his truck and threatened him. That caused the driver to pepper spray the ex-NFL star, according to the affidavit.
Sanchez was allegedly undeterred, however, and continuied to strike the man, who fell back into a dumpster and on to pallets.
Tole then pulled out a knife and stabbed Sanchez several times in his chest because, as he told police, he believed ‘this guy is trying to kill me.’
Sanchez fled after being stabbed, according to the affidavit. Later, after a local bartender called 911, he was rushed to hospital in critical condition. Tole later told police that Sanchez smelled of alcohol and slurred his speech.
In shocking photos from the scene, Sanchez, 38, is shown lying shirtless and wounded on a gurney as he receives medical attention.
The former quarterback was rushed to the hospital but Sanchez is accused of instigating the altercation, according to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by the Daily Mail.
In a separate video, the alleged victim, Tole, can be seen being rolled out of the alleyway towards an ambulance.
Sanchez is married to American actress Perry Mattfeld. The couple have two children together after she gave birth to twins in March. Sanchez also has an eight-year-old son, Daniel, from a previous relationship.
In his lawsuit on Monday, Tole sued Sanchez for assault/battery as well as the ex-quarterback’s employer, Fox, for negligent hiring, retention and supervision. He is asking for compensatory and punitive damages.
Tole claims in his filing that he has suffered severe permanent disfigurement, loss of function, other physical injuries, emotional distress and other damages as a result of the altercation.
According to the driver, Fox ‘knew or should have known’ about Sanchez’s ‘unfitness as an employee, propensity for drinking and/or harmful conduct.’
Horrifying photos, released on Sunday, showed the extent of the grease truck driver’s gruesome injuries. He could be seen in a hospital bed, covered in blood with a gash on his face and a brace around his neck.
Sanchez played 10 seasons in the NFL, including four with the Jets after they took him fifth overall pick in 2009.
He later spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the then-Washington Redskins and the Chicago Bears.
