MALIBU—Former NFL quarterback, Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer Joe Montana had an unexpected encounter when he saved his nine-month-old grandchild from an intruder, who broke into his home on Saturday, September 26.
Montana told the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that he and his wife were in their home while their grandchild was sleeping in the playpen. A woman they did not know broke into the residence attempting to kidnap the child.
As the intruder was holding the baby, they confronted her, and according to Montana, he attempted to “de-escalate the situation,” asking for the woman to hand their grandchild to them, putting the safety of their grandchild ahead of a potentially violent situation.
When she refused, a brief scuffle took place, as Montana’s wife pried the baby from the intruders arms, preventing any injuries.
After authorities arrived on the scene, the intruder, who fled the scene, was identified as Sodsai Dalzell and is facing charges of kidnapping and burglary. Dalzell does not appear to have an attorney, and authorities are still investigating the incident.
Following the incident, Montana went on Twitter, and thanked everyone for their kind words and concern tweeting, “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 former quarterback played 13 years with the San Francisco 49ers, where he won four Super Bowl championships. He finished his career playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, playing just one season, before retiring in 1994.
