Herold, a widow whose daughter was killed in a car accident several years ago, told Today that the incident was "a freak thing." The wounded chimpanzee fled into the house and retreated to his living quarters, where he died. An officer shot Travis several times after the animal opened the door to his cruiser and started to get in. Chimp attacked police, tooīut the chimpanzee returned and went after several officers, who retreated into their cars, Conklin said. After the animal lunged at Nash when she got out of her car, Herold ran inside to call 911 and returned with a knife.Īfter the initial attack, Travis ran away and started roaming Herold's property until police arrived, setting up security so that medics could reach the critically injured woman, Conklin said. Nash had gone to Herold's home in Stamford on Monday to help her coax the chimp back into the house after he got out, police said. "Maybe from the medications he was out of sorts," Stamford police Capt. Investigators said they were told that Travis had Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness with flu-like symptoms that can lead to arthritis and meningitis in humans. A pet owner can be held criminally responsible if he or she knew or should have known that an animal was a danger to others. Police said they are looking into the possibility of criminal charges. Nash remained in critical condition early Wednesday with major injuries to her face and hands. "It was horrific what happened and I had to do what I had to do, but still, I'll miss him for the rest of my life." "He looked at me like, 'Mom, what did you do?' " Herold told NBC's Today show in an interview aired Wednesday. The chimp attacked Nash as Herold frantically stabbed her beloved pet with a butcher knife and pounded him with a shovel. He doesn't look good," he says, referring to the disfigured Nash and not realizing she was a woman. Herold replies, "My chimpanzee! He ripped her apart! Shoot him, shoot him!"Īfter police arrive, one officer radios back: "There's a man down. The dispatcher says, "Who's killing your friend?" The chimp can be heard grunting at times on the tape, as Herold cries, "He's killing my friend!" Emil Coccaro, chief of psychiatry at the University of Chicago Medical Center.Īlso on Wednesday, police released 911 tapes of Herold's desperate call as the animal, who used to star in television commercials for Coca-Cola and Old Navy, was attacking Nash. "Xanax could have made him worse," if human studies are any indication, said Dr. Police in Stamford, Conn., have said Herold told them that she had given Travis Xanax in some tea earlier in the day to calm him because he was agitated.Ī University of Chicago doctor says the anti-anxiety drug can lead to aggression in people who are unstable to begin with. On Monday, the animal attacked Herold's friend, 55-year-old Charla Nash, leaving her severely injured. Sandra Herold, 70, told the Associated Press Wednesday that she "never, ever" gave the drug to her 14-year-old chimp, Travis. James was left massively disfigured from the incident.ĭespite everything, the couple continued to visit Moe until he mysteriously disappeared from the sanctuary.The owner of a 90-kilogram domesticated chimpanzee that went berserk and mauled a Connecticut woman is disputing police reports that she gave the animal the anti-anxiety drug Xanax. After five minutes, LaDonna's screams caught the attention of the sanctuary owner's son. James jumped in to save his wife, and became the main victim of the attacking primates. Jealous of the Davises' attention to Moe, one went directly after LaDonna, biting her thumb off after an attempted tackle. Tragically, two chimpanzees escaped from their cages. One fateful day, the Davises were visiting Moe at the sanctuary for his 39th birthday. Many legal battles ensued, and Moe was eventually granted the right to stay at a sanctuary for apes, where the Davises could visit him. After a raid by police and animal control, Moe was eventually taken away by the state. When Moe was in his 30s, he began to display aggressive behaviors. The trio gained local fame, and Moe even made some TV appearances. They ate, slept, and watched TV together. Over the years, the human couple and their chimpanzee lived together in West Covina, CA, a suburb about 20 miles east of Los Angeles. Not long afterward, he and LaDonna finally married. Eventually, he came home, but he wasn't alone - he brought Moe, a newborn chimpanzee he had rescued from the wild, back home with him. James left LaDonna at the alter and then skipped town shortly after on a boat headed for Africa. They had planned to get married fresh out of high school - that is, until St. James and LaDonna Davis were high school sweethearts.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |