Perry Tole, the 69-year-old man reportedly stabbed by Fox anchor Mark Sanchez, has had his friend share an update on his situation with local media outlet Fox 59.
Tole was on a midnight shift collecting cooking oil from various restaurants and hotels when Sanchez allegedly approached him in the early morning hours of October 4. He revealed to the outlet that he accepted the job to support his sister-in-law, who was shot in the head during a store robbery in 2011. Tole ultimately decided to give up his dreams of becoming a musician to take care of her.
Gregg Keesling, Tole’s longtime friend, spoke to the outlet: ”It takes a good man to do something like that,” ”Perry works in recycling because he needs the money to take care of his wife’s family. He’s that kind of guy who is very connected and committed to helping others.”
Keesling went on to say: “Perry Tole was a guitar player that I knew from Jamaica who was a player at the resort down there, came to America and began to work playing the guitar, producing music. It’s not quite reggae. It’s a fusion of rock and roll and we call him Jamaica’s Jimi Hendrix and he plays left-handed and he’s just talented. That’s the Perry Tole that I know. I knew him in Jamaica, where we have a violent country from time to time, and Perry avoided [that].”
On the night of the incident, Sanchez allegedly confronted Tole regarding the way his vehicle was parked. According to Tole, the altercation escalated to the point where Sanchez had him pinned down on the ground between a dumpster and some wooden pallets. Tole initially deployed pepper spray against Sanchez before admitting to stabbing him “two or three times” with a small knife.
