Conn. prosecutor plans announcement about chimp attack; authorities have been weighing charges

Prosecutor plans announcement in Conn. chimp case

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Connecticut prosecutor plans to make an announcement about a chimpanzee attack that left a woman disfigured and blinded.

State’s Attorney David Cohen says he will release a statement Monday afternoon but is declining to elaborate.

Authorities have been considering whether to charge the animal’s owner, 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’s family is suing Herold for $50 million and wants to sue the state for $150 million.

Police and attorneys in the case say they don’t have details on the prosecutor’s plans.