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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Guardian sport

NFL great Joe Montana and wife Jennifer save grandchild from kidnapping

Joe Montana is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time
Joe Montana is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Photograph: Chris Helgren/Reuters

It appears that NFL hall of famer Joe Montana is a crimefighter as well as the winner of four Super Bowls.

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback foiled a kidnapping in his Malibu home on Saturday evening. Law enforcement confirmed on Sunday that a woman, named as Sodsai Dalzell, entered the house and snatched one of Montana’s grandchildren from a playpen. Montana and his wife Jennifer then tried to deescalate the situation before a tussle ensued, during which Jennifer grabbed the child.

Dalzell is then understood to have fled the house before being arrested a short distance away and booked on kidnap and burglary charges.

Montana referenced the incident in a Tweet on Sunday afternoon. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out,” he wrote. “Scary situation, but thankful that everybody is doing well. We appreciate respect for our privacy at this time.”

The 64-year-old Montana is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and played in the NFL from 1979 to 1994, including 13 seasons with the 49ers. He has four children with Jennifer.

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