EX-NFLER thwarts kidnap of grandchild

Joe Montana showed he can play pretty good defence over the weekend, teaming up with wife Jennifer to stop an intruder from snatching their nine-month-old granddaughter.

Sodsai Dalzell, a 39- yearold woman unknown to the Montana family, managed to break into the couple’s Malibu home and remove the child from her playpen, before being confronted by the legendary quarterback and his wife, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department.

The Montanas attempted to “de- escalate the situation” by asking Dalzell to hand over their granddaughter. When that failed, a struggle ensued and Jennifer stripped the baby from the intruder’s arms, according to the Daily Mail. Dalzell allegedly ran from the scene but was taken into custody shortly after Joe Montana flagged down a police cruiser to report the incident.

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out,” the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback said on Twitter on Sunday. “Scary situation, but thankful that everybody is doing well. We appreciate respect for our privacy at this time.”

Such incidents are rare in the heavily secured area of Malibu Beach, said Julian Alexander, who resides nearby. “There’s a lot of walls, hedges, private security,” he said, according to KCAL 9. “This is billionaires’ row, so people aren’t going to get into people’s houses easily.”

Dalzell, who did not resist arrest according to witnesses, faces charges of kidnapping and burglary and is being held on a US$ 150,000 bond. Officers said no one was hurt in the alleged attempt but did not speculate on motive, with the investigation still underway. The suspect is set to make an appearance in court on Tuesday.