Former Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez has moved to plead guilty in the criminal case stemming from a violent altercation in downtown Indianapolis last year, according to reports published Thursday evening.
Local television station WXIN (Channel 59, Fox) said a motion for a guilty plea and sentencing hearing was filed by Sanchez’s attorneys in the court where his case is playing out. The filing does not specify which charges Sanchez intends to plead guilty to, and a judge must still accept the plea.
Sanchez faces charges that include battery causing serious injury, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication. The case stems from an altercation last October, when Sanchez was in Indianapolis to work the Indianapolis Colts-Las Vegas Raiders game for Fox Sports the following day.
Police said Sanchez became involved in a confrontation with 69-year-old Perry Tole, a truck driver who was collecting used cooking oil from businesses near two downtown hotels. Investigators alleged Sanchez, who appeared to be intoxicated, opened the driver-side door of Tole’s truck and entered the vehicle despite being told to leave. The confrontation later became physical.
Tole told police he used pepper spray on Sanchez before stabbing him several times because he believed Sanchez was trying to kill him. Police said security video closely matched Tole’s account, according to WXIN-TV.
Both men were hospitalized. Sanchez was later arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail after his release from the hospital.
The criminal case had been delayed at least five times, with the most recent jury trial scheduled to begin September 8. Sanchez’s attorneys are now asking the court to accept the plea agreement and schedule sentencing for either November 9 or November 16.
“We are finalizing an agreement with the prosecutor’s office that provides a path toward resolving the state’s case,” Nick Sanchez Jr., a legal advisor to Sanchez, told reporters on Thursday.
Tole has separately filed a civil lawsuit against Sanchez and Fox Sports. His attorney, Matt Golitko, said discussions with Sanchez’s legal team have been productive and that the parties are working toward an agreement.
Fox Sports suspended Sanchez after the altercation and later parted ways with him. The network subsequently added Drew Brees to its NFL broadcast lineup.
