Mark Sanchez’s family released a statement Oct. 6 in the aftermath of the former NFL quarterback’s Indianapolis arrest for a fight with a 69-year-old truck driver that left Sanchez with multiple stab wounds.
“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. 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,” Mark’s brother, Nick Sanchez Jr., wrote on behalf of his family.
Police say Mark Sanchez instigated the fight with a 69-year-old truck driver in the early morning hours of Oct. 4. in an alley near the Westin Hotel. The truck driver told police that he pepper-sprayed Sanchez in an unsuccessful attempt to end the attack before pulling out a knife to defend himself.
Sanchez faces charges of battery resulting in serious bodily injury, battery resulting in bodily injury, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication.
Sanchez has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys, led by Jennifer Lukemeyer, declined a request for comment.
He remained hospitalized on the morning of Oct. 6, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
Who are Mark Sanchez’s family members?
Sanchez, 38, is the youngest of three brothers, all of whom played college football. His brother Brandon was on Depauw University’s offensive line, and Nick Jr. was a quarterback at Yale.
After their parents Olga Sanchez and Nick Sanchez Sr. divorced, the boys were raised by their father, a former Army sergeant who later became a captain with the Orange County Fire Authority.
A 2008 New York Times article described how Sanchez Sr., who’d played football as a quarterback at his community college, ran his sons through drills that combined football skills and academics.
The same article said that Mark Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault in 2006 when he was a student at the University of Southern California but “was ultimately cleared in the case.” He also got in trouble for using a fake ID to enter a bar, the Times reported.
“‘We just had to put our trust in law enforcement…you learn, you grow, you mature,'” Mark Sanchez told the Times in 2008, reflecting on the experience.
In 2023, Sanchez married actress Perry Mattfeld. Among her credits are roles in “Shameless,” “Chad Powers” and “In the Dark.” Sanchez’s young son Daniel from a former relationship was in their wedding as a groomsman and ring bearer, the New York Post reported.
Mattfeld and Sanchez welcomed twins in March, according to a Glamour magazine interview Mattfeld gave on Sep. 30.
Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mark Sanchez’s family releases first statement after Oct. 4 Indianapolis stabbing
Reporting by Ryan Murphy, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
