A 39-year-old woman has been charged in connection with the attempted kidnapping of retired NFL quarterback Joe Montana’s grandchild from his Southern California home over the weekend.
Sodsai Predpring Dalzell made her first court appearance Tuesday on two felony counts of attempted kidnapping and burglary, according to a criminal complaint filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors. It was not clear whether Dalzell entered a plea, The Associated Press reported.
Her bail was set at $150,000, according to reports.
The 64-year-old Hall of Famer told authorities his 9-month-old granddaughter was asleep Saturday in a playpen at his home in Malibu when the stranger strolled in unannounced and picked up the baby.
The New York Times reported the woman walked upstairs with the child in her arms.
That’s when Montana and his wife, Jennifer, confronted the suspect in an attempt to “deescalate the situation” and pleaded with her to hand the child over to them, authorities said.
A brief struggle ensued and Jennifer Montana managed to pry the infant from the woman’s grasp, police said.
Police said Dalzell fled the scene as Joe Montana went outside and flagged down deputies on patrol in the area. The woman was arrested nearby moments later.
No one was hurt during the incident.
“Scary situation, but thankful that everybody is doing well,” the former San Francisco 49ers star tweeted on Sunday.
The sheriff’s department has not revealed any other details about what happened or about Dalzell.
Montana played 13 years of his 15-year career with the 49ers, who won four Super Bowls with him as starting quarterback. He retired in 1994 after two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He and Jennifer Montana, a philanthropist and former model, have been married since 1985 and have four adult children. It is not clear which of the adult children is the girl’s parent.
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