New lead sought in monkey bite case

By James Patrick Schmidt

Published Nov. 6, 2007

The Columbia/Boone County Health Department is following a new lead in the search for the owner of a pet monkey that bit two children at the Paws in the Park celebration at Stephens Lake Park on Sept. 22.

Deidre Wood, Columbia/Boone County Health Department spokeswoman, said the department is now looking for Libby

Brozovich.

The accusation was made after Libby Brozovich's son-in-law, Curtis Brozovich, contacted the Columbia Daily Tribune because he said he recognized Libby Brozovich from the photo published by the Tribune, Wood said.

"We're having a hard time locating an address with her because she is very transient, and we are following up on two addresses right now," she

said.

Wood said the department is not certain that Libby Brozovich is the owner of the monkey that bit the children, but she is the only suspect being investigated at this time.

Wood also said Libby Brozovich contacted the department after the article was published in the

Tribune.

"She did call the health department, but it wasn't really a full conversation and we weren't able to address all the questions we had for her," Wood said. "She said it wasn't her monkey that bit the individuals. She said her monkey did not bite

anybody."

Wood said this is not the first lead the department has followed, but none of the others led to the owner of the monkey.

The department wants to obtain the monkey for 24 hours in order to monitor it and draw a blood sample to test for the Simian B virus, which is a rare virus that the monkey might be carrying, Wood

said.