Former NFL Quarterback Mark Sanchez Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting 69-Year-Old Worker at Indianapolis Hotel Before Being Stabbed
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Former NFL quarterback and current TV analyst Mark Sanchez was stabbed and later arrested after allegedly attacking a 69-year-old worker who was exchanging cooking oil behind a downtown Indianapolis hotel, according to prosecutors.
Confrontation Turns Violent Outside Westin Hotel
The confrontation unfolded around 12:30 a.m. Saturday outside Loughmiller’s Pub and Eatery, near the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.
Police responding to reports of a disturbance found 38-year-old Sanchez with multiple stab wounds to the upper torso. In a nearby alley between two hotels, they located a 69-year-old man suffering from a facial laceration.
According to an affidavit released Sunday by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, video surveillance showed Sanchez approaching the man, who was performing maintenance work for a company that specializes in commercial cooking oil and recycling.
The two exchanged words before Sanchez allegedly became aggressive, chasing the man around his truck and throwing him against a wall. Police said the altercation escalated into a fight in which Sanchez tackled the worker to the ground.
Worker Says He Feared for His Life
In a statement matching the video evidence, the worker told police he could smell alcohol on Sanchez’s breath and that the former quarterback’s speech was slurred.
He said Sanchez claimed to have spoken to hotel management and told him he “could not be there.” When the worker tried to contact his supervisor, Sanchez allegedly entered his truck and continued blocking him from making the call.
When the victim exited his vehicle to flag down a nearby security guard, Sanchez followed and shoved him, police said. The worker then used pepper spray, but officers wrote that it only “stunned Sanchez briefly” before he resumed his attack.
“P.T. thought ‘this guy is trying to kill me,’” detectives quoted the victim as saying. Believing his life was in danger, the man pulled a knife and stabbed Sanchez multiple times in self-defense.
Witnesses told investigators that Sanchez looked shocked, turned, and ran northbound through the alley, bleeding heavily.
Sanchez Arrested at Hospital
Paramedics rushed Sanchez to a local hospital, where he was treated for stab wounds. Police attempted to interview him, but Sanchez reportedly told investigators he “couldn’t remember anything except grabbing for a window.”
After reviewing video and witness statements, detectives arrested Sanchez on charges of battery, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, and public intoxication.
He was scheduled to call Sunday’s Indianapolis Colts game for FOX Sports but will now face criminal charges in Marion County Court once released from medical care.
Prosecutor: “This Never Should Have Happened”
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears condemned the incident, calling it an avoidable act of violence.
“What began as a disagreement between a 38-year-old former professional athlete and a 69-year-old man should not have escalated into violence or left anyone seriously injured,” Mears said. “We will follow the facts and the law wherever they lead.”
The 69-year-old victim, identified in court documents as P.T., was treated for minor injuries and released. Sanchez remains under observation and will be transferred to jail upon medical clearance.
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