Fans were shocked to learn that Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and his wife Sandra had been arrested this past weekend for domestic battery in front of a child. Other than the fact that they two had been arrested and released from jail, not much else was known about the incident. Last night, though, Benante’s attorney William L. Hotopp released a statement shedding more light on the events that occurred (at least from the drummer’s perspective).
Painting his client to be the victim, Hotopp said the following in defense of Benante:
“Mr. Benante and his six-year-old daughter, Mia, had traveled to Elkart, Indiana to meet Mrs. Benante and her 17-year-old son, who was participating in a weekend baseball series. At some point, words were exchanged between Mr. Benante, Mrs. Benante and her male companion that led to a scuffle. Mrs. Benante hit Mr. Benante in the face, he pushed her away, and as he turned around to leave with Mia, Mrs. Benante assaulted him from behind, hitting him multiple times on the back of his head with a cell phone.
Police were called, and both Mr. Benante and Mrs. Benante were detained for domestic battery in front of a child. Mr. Benante is understandably distraught by this incident and that his daughter, who he dotes on, witnessed it. Mr. Benante will appear in Elkhart County court this Friday, August 3, and we expect complete vindication.”
As of now, Charlie’s bandmates in Anthrax have still not commented on the matter. Whether you believe Benante and his lawyer’s side of the story or not, it’s safe to say that this could only turn uglier. Here’s hoping that the matter will get resolved sooner than later for the benefit of both Charlie and his family.
