Pro football Hall of Famer Joe Montana and his wife Jennifer foiled the attempted kidnapping of their 9-month-old grandchild Saturday by an intruder who walked in and snatched the infant from a woman’s arms.
It’s not clear who was holding the baby at the time — in a Malibu, California, home where the Montanas were staying — but a 39-year-old woman came in through an unlocked door and grabbed the child, TMZ reports.
The woman then carried the baby to another part of the house, where she ran into “Joe Cool,” his nickname from his playing days, and Jennifer. They wrestled the child out of the woman’s arms, and she fled.
CBS Los Angeles said the incident happed at about 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The woman snatched the child from the living room, authorities said, and then fled to a neighboring house, where she was arrested, after the Montanas confronted her.
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.
— Joseph Montana (@JoeMontana) September 27, 2020
Montana tweeted out a thank you for fans’ concern and asked for privacy.
Montana is a legendary quarterback who played college ball for Notre Dame and was drafted in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers in 1979. He led the 49ers into the playoffs nine times — including four Super Bowl wins in four appearances — until an injury derailed his days in San Francisco in 1990. He played a half a game more with the 49ers in 1992, after recovering from the injury, and then led the Kansas City Chiefs to the playoffs in his two final years as a pro there.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast:
[Featured image: Joe Montana, center, and his wife Jennifer next to a statue of Montana commemorating “The Catch,” which was unveiled along with a statue of wide receiver Dwight Clark, before an NFL football game in 2018. Clark caught a touchdown pass, known as “The Catch,” from Montana in the NFC Championship game to beat the Dallas Cowboys on January 10, 1982. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)]