Chimp's Owner Won't Be Charged over Attack

A Connecticut prosecutor says he does not plan to charge the owner of a chimpanzee that mauled and blinded a woman.

State's Attorney David Cohen said Monday that no charges are planned against Sandra Herold, of Stamford.

The 200-pound chimpanzee went berserk in February after Herold asked victim Charla Nash to help lure him back into her house. The chimp ripped off Nash's hands, nose, lips and eyelids.

Nash revealed her heavily disfigured face last month on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Nash's family is suing Herold for $50 million and wants to sue the state for $150 million. Nash's family has said Herold was negligent and reckless for lacking the ability to control "a wild animal with violent propensities."

A biologist for the state Department of Environmental Protection warned officials before the attack that Travis could seriously hurt someone if he felt threatened, noting that he was large and strong.

Herold's attorney has called the attack work-related and said her family's case should be treated like a workers' compensation claim. The strategy, if successful, would limit potential damages in the case and insulate the chimp owner from personal liability.

Test results showed that Travis had the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in his system.

The animal, which was shot and killed by police, had also escaped in 2003 from his owner's car and led police on a chase for hours in downtown Stamford. No one was injured.

Records obtained by The Associated Press through an open-records request show the state began receiving warnings immediately after that event.