The mother of former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez's oldest child gave a blunt reaction to the incident in which Sanchez allegedly attacked an elderly man during an incident that led to him being stabbed earlier this month.
Erin Campaneris, who is known by modeling name Bobby T and shares an 8-year-old son with Sanchez, said that "none" of the allegations against him are "surprising to me" in a post shared on her Instagram Story.
“I am aware of the serious criminal charges currently facing my son’s father, Mark Sanchez,” she wrote. “My foremost priority has always been, and remains, our eight year old son, Daniel. I chose to remain silent publicly to protect Daniel.
“Now that everything is out in the open, my focus hasn’t changed. I have always been concerned for his safety and for what he is exposed to. Sadly, none of this is surprising to me.
“Like everyone else, I learned of the horrific event through a news alert on my phone while sitting next to Daniel. I still know only what is publicly available.
"My thoughts and empathy are with the victim and everyone affected by this devastating event. It has created a wide ripple effect, touching many lives.
"I understand that we live in a very public world, but my hope is that as my son grows, he can be seen and understood apart from this story.
“At the end of the day, I’m simply a mama to a very sweet young boy doing my best to protect his peace. Thank you for the compassion so many have shown toward Daniel and me."
Sanchez, who is married to and shares infant twin daughters with actress Perry Mattfield, released from the hospital and booked into the Marion County Jail to be fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken on Sunday (October 12). Video shared by FOX 59 shows the former NFL quarterback telling reporters he was "focused on his recovery" and thanking first responders and hospital staff.
Sanchez is cleared to leave the state of Indiana after being charged with felony battery and several misdemeanors. Newly released footage from the incident shows Sanchez appearing to wander the area drunk, retracing his steps, leaning against a wall and breaking into interment bursts of jogging prior to the altercation with Perry Tole, 69, a grease truck driver, at around 12:30 a.m. local time on October 4.
Tole was seen pulling his truck into the alley at around 12:05 a.m. and Sanchez was walking unsteadily out of the alley at around 12:12 a.m. Sanchez was seen walking down the sidewalk near the alley and then walking back in the opposite direction 90 seconds later.
The broadcaster was then seen pausing and continuing to slowly walk down the street out of the camera's view before coming back and leaning against a wall at the alley's entrance about six minutes later. A bystander was seen conversing with Sanchez prior to walking away, at which point the former quarterback walked down the alley toward the loading dock where Tole's truck was parked. Sanchez paused behind a dumpster before suddenly jogging toward the truck and out of camera view at around 12:25 a.m.
The footage then cuts to Sanchez clutching his chest after being stabbed by Tole, who police said was defending himself from a violent attack. Sanchez and his employer, FOX Sports, were listed as defendants in a lawsuit seeking compensation for the attack.
The lawsuit accuses Sanchez of appearing to be "intoxicated" when he "instigated an altercation" with Tole when the incident occurred in a loading bay in the alleyway. Tole claimed to have suffered “significant injuries to his head, jaw and neck” during the fight in which Sanchez slammed him to the ground, according to the lawsuit.
Authorities said Sanchez turned Tole's knife on him, which resulted in the elderly man being stabbed through the cheek and having his tongue cut. The lawsuit also claims that FOX Sports "knew or should have known" about Sanchez's "unfitness as an employee, propensity for drinking and/or harmful conduct" prior to the alleged incident.
Sanchez was a First-team All-Pac-10 selection during his lone full season as USC's starter in 2008 before being selected by the New York Jets at No. 5 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. The California native led New York to two consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances during his first two seasons, but was released by the team after the 2013 season, having gone 33-29 as a starter in four seasons.
Sanchez's tenure with the Jets is also best remembered for the infamous 'Butt Fumble' play during a 2012 Thanksgiving Day game against the New England Patriots in which he ran into the backside of offensive lineman Brandon Moore and fumbled, with Patriots safety Steve Gregory returning it for a touchdown. The former USC standout also appeared in games for the Philadelphia Eagles (2014-2015), Dallas Cowboys (2016) and now-Washington Commanders (2018) during his NFL career before retiring in 2019.
Sanchez began his broadcasting career as part of ESPN's college football coverage before moving to FOX in 2021.