The woman who allegedly attempted to kidnap the grandchild of Joe Montana has been officially charged and pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles County court on Tuesday, according to PEOPLE. Sodsai Dalzell, 39, is “extremely apologetic” for the situation, according to her lawyer Ayinde Jones. Bail for Dalzell is set at $200,000.
“Miss Dalzell is extremely apologetic and is very well concerned about the well-being of the family,” Jones said. “She understands the harm that this has caused the family, friends and also fans of the Montana family. So our heart goes out to them.” Montana, 64, and his wife, Jennifer, were at their home in Malibu on Saturday when an unknown woman entered the residence at 5 p.m. The suspect, who was later identified as Dalzell, allegedly removed the child from the playpen and held them 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,” the Los Angeles County Sherrif’s Department said in a statement. A tussle ensued and Mrs. Montana was able to safely pry the child out of the suspect’s arms. The suspect fled the location.” Deputies then searched the area and arrested Dalzell. She was charged with felony counts of attempted kidnapping of a child under 14 and burglary.
Montana went to Twitter to give an update on his family. “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.” Montana and Jennifer have four children together – Alexandra Whitney, Elizabeth Jean, Nathaniel Joseph and Nicholas Alexander.
NFL fans loved Montana when he was playing during the 1980s and 1990s. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1979 NFL Draft and began making an impact in 1981 as he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. He would go on to reach the Pro Bowl seven more times as well as win four Super Bowls and three Super Bowl MVPs. Montana would spend nearly his entire career with the 49ers except for his final two seasons as he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs (1993-1994). He’s a member of the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
