Joe Montana has released a statement on the situation that occurred at his home on Saturday evening. The Pro Football Hall of Famer fought off an intruder trying to kidnap one of his grandchildren. An unidentified woman entered the Los Angeles home after opening an unlocked door. She then approached a woman holding a baby, and that’s when Montana and his wife, Jennifer, headed her off. The couple got the grandchild back as the intruder exited the home. The woman was then arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out,” Montana wrote on Twitter. “Scary situation, but thankful that everybody is doing well. We appreciate respect for our privacy at this time.” Police were able to arrest the woman after someone in Montana’s house flagged down the officers. The intruder was identified as a 39-year-old woman and has been booked on charges of kidnapping and burglary.
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Montana and his wife have been married for 35 years and have four children together – Alexandra Whitney, Elizabeth Jean, Nathaniel Joseph and Nicholas Alexander. Shortly after the arrest, police released more information on the incident. The grandchild is 9 months old and the intruder has been identified as Sodsai Dalzell. Back in 2015, Montana and his wife talked about family life and described themselves as “empty nesters.” Jennifer told CBS New affiliate KPIX that family means “everything, everything… It’s something we’ve really stressed to the kids growing up.”
“I think it’s a question of what’s important,” she added. “You make a list of things you need to do and sometimes it gets squashed… One phone call from the kids.”
Montana is considered one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1979-1992 and then the Kansas City Chiefs from 1993-1994. Montana made the 49ers a powerhouse in the 1980s, leading the team to four Super Bowl wins and winning Super Bowl MVP three times. He was named NFL MVP in 1989 and 1990 and was also named Comeback Player of the Year in 1986. In his career, Montana threw for 40,551 yards with 273 touchdowns and posted a passer rating of 92.3. The Notre Dame alum was named to the 1980s All-Decade Team, the 75th Anniversary all-team, and, most recently, the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
