Former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was hit with a felony battery charge that carries up to six years in prison in connection with his alleged alleyway assault of a truck driver, Indianapolis authorities said Monday.
Sanchez, 38, was stabbed in the incident early Saturday morning, but cops said he was wounded by a 69-year-old truck driver acting in self-defense. He was initially charged with three misdemeanors, but prosecutors added the felony charge Monday.
“Once we were provided with additional information about the victim’s current medical condition, it became clear to us that additional charges needed to be filed,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said at a news conference.
The new charge, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, carries a potential prison sentence of one to six years if Sanchez is convicted.
On Sunday, family members of the truck driver released photos of his injuries, showing him hospitalized in a neck brace with a gash on his left cheek. The man has since been released from the hospital and filed a civil lawsuit against Sanchez, TMZ reported, identifying the victim as Perry Tole.
Tole sued Sanchez for assault/battery and Fox for negligent hiring, retention and supervision, according to the outlet. Sanchez is employed by Fox Sports as a broadcaster and was in Indianapolis for work over the weekend.
In the suit, Tole said he suffered serious head, jaw and neck injuries that caused permanent disfigurement and emotional distress, TMZ reported.
Sanchez remains hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said Monday. He has posted $300 bond and waived his initial court appearance Tuesday; the next hearing in his case is scheduled for Nov. 4.
Cops said in the early minutes of Saturday, Sanchez got into an argument with a truck driver who had parked in an alley at the Westin hotel in downtown Indianapolis. The man drove for an industrial cooking oil disposal company.
“Mr. Sanchez told [Tole] that he could not be there [at the loading dock] and that he [Sanchez] had spoken to the manager of the hotel,” prosecutors wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
According to reports, the incident occurred in an alley and loading dock in between two hotels in downtown Indianapolis. (Google)
The ensuing argument spiraled out of control, and surveillance video captured Sanchez throwing the man against a wall and to the ground in the confrontation, according to police. The driver told cops he pepper-sprayed Sanchez, but the ex-NFLer simply wiped it away and continued advancing toward him.
The man told police he thought, “This guy is trying to kill me,” so he pulled a knife and stabbed Sanchez. The former quarterback is still facing the initial misdemeanor charges of battery resulting in injury, public intoxication and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle.
Sanchez’s attorneys have not commented on the case. The truck driver was not charged with any crimes.
With News Wire Services
Originally Published: October 6, 2025 at 1:49 PM EDT
