(WXIN) – Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears filed more serious charges against former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez for his involvement in a stabbing incident in downtown Indianapolis early Saturday.
Sanchez, while recovering in the hospital on Sunday, was charged with several misdemeanors after details came out accusing him of being the aggressor in the incident. Those misdemeanor criminal charges included battery resulting in injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle for his alleged role in the altercation.
But after seeing the extent of the victim’s injuries, and factoring in the victim’s age, Prosecutor Ryan Mears has moved to upgrade Sanchez’s charges to a Level 5 felony battery of causing serious injury, he said at a press conference Monday.
“This is by no means the end of this investigation,” Mears added.
The prosecutor praised the investigation spearheaded by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, which included numerous witness accounts and surveillance video from a “very well covered” area of downtown Indianapolis.
“I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what you do for a living, I don’t care where you live, if you come into our city and commit violence, we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold you accountable,” said IMPD Chief Chris Bailey during the presser.
The stabbing drew widespread national coverage over the weekend, with Nexstar’s WXIN breaking exclusive details into the events of the stabbing.
Court documents indicate that the incident occurred around 12:35 a.m. on Saturday. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to Loughmiller’s Pub and Eatery, where they found Sanchez suffering from several stab wounds to his upper torso.
A second man was found in a nearby alley with cuts to his face. This 69-year-old man was working between the Westin Hotel and the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, collecting used cooking oil as part of his job.
Investigators reviewed hotel surveillance footage, which appeared to show Sanchez jogging into the alley and approaching the man’s box truck. The two were seen talking before the interaction turned physical.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Sanchez allegedly opened the driver’s door of the truck and climbed inside despite being told to leave. The man told detectives Sanchez appeared intoxicated, smelled of alcohol and claimed to have spoken to the hotel manager, who said the truck was not supposed to be there. When the worker tried to call his supervisor, Sanchez allegedly blocked him.
Video shows the men circling the truck before a struggle broke out near a large dumpster. Detectives say Sanchez threw the victim toward the dumpster and the two fought between the truck and the wall. The 69-year-old told police he used pepper spray to defend himself, but when Sanchez continued advancing, he thought “this guy is trying to kill me” and pulled out a knife and stabbed Sanchez several times in self-defense.
According to the court documents, video gathered from the nearby Marriott hotel “closely matches” the victim’s account.
A witness in a nearby car told detectives he saw two men “recording each other” with cellphones before the fight began, then saw one man tumble to the curb as the other ran north through the alley.
Detectives collected a knife from the truck’s driver’s seat and later obtained search warrants for Sanchez’s clothing and cellphone.
The family of the victim provided images of the victim’s injuries, showing the damage inflicted on the 69-year-old during the attack. The family wishes to remain anonymous due to the attention around the incident but said the man was cut in the fight, and it was deep enough to go through his cheek and hit his tongue.
Detectives later interviewed Sanchez at the hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. When asked what happened, Sanchez reportedly said he only remembered “grabbing for a window” and did not know who attacked him or where the incident took place.
Prosecutor Mears released a statement early Sunday morning, saying: “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. As with any case, we will follow the facts and the law wherever they lead.”
Sanchez, a 38-year-old former New York Jets quarterback, starred at USC from 2005-2008 and was selected fifth overall by the Jets in the 2009 NFL Draft. He was scheduled to broadcast the Colts-Raiders game at Lucas Oil Stadium with FOX Sports on Sunday. FOX Sports has since indicated that former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn will fill in for Sanchez on Sunday.
Court records show that Sanchez’s initial hearing is set for Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. He was issued a $300 cash bond.
Public records indicate Sanchez has posted bond.
A source with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that deputies officially “processed” Sanchez while he was still at the hospital. That means Sanchez is technically out of jail on bond.
The same MCSO official also indicated that Sanchez may not be subjected to a booking photo because he was processed at the hospital instead of the Marion County Jail.
Officials with the Marion County Jail told Nexstar’s WXIN that Sanchez remains in the hospital.
In the wake of the initial reports of Sanchez being involved in the stabbing, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith were quick to tweet out statements casting blame on the “lack of public safety” in Indianapolis.
Beckwith stated the city was “sliding into lawlessness” and called for the governor and attorney general to be granted more power to create “safe streets.”
But once details emerged accusing Sanchez of being the aggressor and initiating the incident by allegedly attacking and harassing a 69-year-old man who was just going about his job, both Braun and Beckwith quickly deleted their tweets.
Mears tweeted a response to the state leadership’s quick jump to conclusions by stating, “The governor attempted to exploit senseless violence for political gain without knowing any facts. The truth didn’t fit his narrative and he deleted his tweet. Real leadership requires a basic understanding of facts and a desire to do more than just blame others.”
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