NFL legend Joe Montana and his wife Jennifer stopped a would-be kidnapper from snatching their 9-month-old grandchild, authorities said.
Montana, 64, flagged down Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies near his home in Malibu Saturday evening, after a woman apparently tried to kidnap the baby.
The Hall of Fame quarterback told deputies the child was sleeping in a playpen when a woman entered his home in the 22100 block of Pacific Coast Highway, removed the child, and held it in her arms.
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“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. A tussle ensued and Mrs. Montana was able to safely pry the child out of the suspect’s arms,” the sheriff’s department told KTLA-TV.
The baby was not hurt during the scuffle, officials said.
The woman fled to a nearby house, and was taken into custody by deputies patrolling the area. The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Sodsai Dalzel, was booked on suspicion of kidnapping and burglary. She is being held on $150,000 bail.
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 tweeted about the incident Sunday afternoon, writing: “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.”
The NFL star spent much of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, before he retired at the end of the 1994 season. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
