Woman, 39, pleads not guilty to the attempted kidnap of NFL Hall of Famer quarterback Joe Montana's nine-month-old granddaughter from his Malibu home
A woman has appeared in court charged over the attempted kidnapping of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana's baby granddaughter from his California home.
Sodsai Predpring Dalzell, 39, has been charged with felony counts of attempted kidnapping and burglary, according to a complaint filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors.
She appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. If convicted Dalzell faces eight years in jail; bail was set at $200,00.
Montana, 64, told sheriff's deputies that the nine-month-old baby girl was asleep Saturday in a playpen in his house in Malibu, California, when a woman he did not know entered and picked up the child.
Montana and his wife, Jennifer, confronted her, tried to de-escalate the situation and asked her to give back the baby, authorities said.
After a brief struggle, Jennifer Montana pried the girl away, and Dalzell fled from the home, authorities said. She was later arrested nearby. No one was hurt.
Detectives said Dalzell was unknown to the Montana family prior to the attempted kidnapping but did not speculate on her motive.
Sodsai Dalzell appears in court for an arraignment Tuesday , in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles. Dalzell is charged with attempted kidnapping of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana's granddaughter
Sodsai Dalzell, center, listens to her attorney, Ayinde Jones, during her arraignment hearing
Montana and his wife, Jennifer, confronted her, tried to de-escalate the situation and asked her to give back the baby, authorities said. After a brief struggle, Jennifer Montana pried the girl away. The couple are pictured in 2018
'Scary situation, but thankful that everybody is doing well,' the former San Francisco 49ers star tweeted on Sunday.
Footage shows the moment Dalzell was arrested after she allegedly broke into their home in the 22100 block of Pacific Coast Highway and snatched the sleeping baby.
Sheriff squad cars were patrolling near the Montanas' home, in a neighborhood known as 'Billionaire's Row', when they were flagged down by Joe after the attempted kidnapping.
Dalzell was arrested a short time later, as seen in the video obtained by KCAL.
Witnesses said the suspect did not put up a fight while being handcuffed.
Video shows the moment Sodsai Dalzell, 39, was arrested for allegedly trying to kidnap Joe Montana's nine-month-old granddaughter from the NFL legend's home in Malibu
Deputies are seen entering the Montana's home on Monday morning. The sheriff's office has declined to release substantial information about the case, citing the ongoing investigation
Joe's son Nick posted this photo with his mother Jennifer (right), sister Alexandra (left) and a baby on Instagram in July with the caption: 'Uncle Nicky on the job.' It's not clear whether the baby in the picture is the same one involved in Saturday's alleged abduction
Joe is pictured at the height of his career with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s
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.
Joe and Jennifer tied the knot in 1985 and have four children together: Alexandra Whitney, 34, Elizabeth Jean, 33, Nathaniel 'Nate' Joseph, 30, and Nicholas 'Nick' Alexander, 28.
A photo Nick posted to Instagram in July suggests that the baby in the attempted abduction could belong to his sister Alexandra - but neither police nor the Montana family have said who the baby's parents are.
The Hall of Famer was spotted dining at chic sushi spot Nobu hours after the incident on Saturday night.
She appeared in court Tuesday, but it is not clear whether she entered a plea. An email to her attorney seeking comment was not immediately returned
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