Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, 64, and his wife Jennifer successfully thwarted a home intruder’s attempt to kidnap their nine-month-old grandchild on Saturday.
The kidnapping attempt occurred around 5 p.m. Saturday, according to a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) statement provided to NBC News. A female suspect, identified as Sodsai Dalzell, is alleged to have entered Montana’s Malibu home where the child was left in a playpen in their living room.
The suspect reportedly took the child out of the playpen and walked up the stairs of Montana’s home where he and his wife confronted the woman.
“Mr. Montana, and his wife Jennifer, confronted the female, attempted to de-escalate the situation, and asked for the suspect to give back their grandchild,” the statement said. “A tussle ensued and Mrs. Montana was able to safely pry the child out of the suspect’s arms.”
The child was reportedly uninjured, according to the LASD statement.
Dalzell then allegedly fled the Malibu home while Montana found deputies who were already patrolling the streets. According to the LASD statement, the deputies “were flagged down in the City of Malibu by a man they recognized as Mr. Joe Montana.”
The deputies were able to track down Dalzell who reportedly fled to a nearby house.
Dalzell, 39, was arrested by Malibu/Lost Hills Deputies and charged with kidnapping and burglary. According to CBS Los Angeles, she is being held on $150,000 bail.
Dalzell is unknown to the Montana family.
On Sunday, Montana tweeted, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out. Scary situation, but thankful that everybody is doing well. We appreciate respect for our privacy at this time.”
Thank you to everyone who has reached out. Scary situation, but thankful that everybody is doing well. We appreciate respect for our privacy at this time.
— Joseph Montana (@JoeMontana) September 27, 2020
Montana joined the NFL in 1979 and played 16 seasons, including 14 with the San Francisco 49ers and the last two with the Kansas City Chiefs. During his career, Montana the 49ers to win four Super Bowls and was named Super Bowl MVP three times. Montana retired from the NFL after the 1994 season.
