Woman surrenders in pepper spraying

LOS ANGELES - A woman suspected of showering Black Friday shoppers with pepper spray surrendered to authorities but was released pending further investigation after she refused to discuss the incident, police said Saturday.

The woman, whose name was not released, is suspected of firing pepper spray into a crowd in order to clear a path to a crate of Xbox video game players that were being unwrapped late Thanksgiving night at a Wal-Mart in the upscale Porter Ranch section of the San Fernando Valley.

The shopper got away in the confusion, and it was not known whether she bought an Xbox. Ten people suffered minor injuries from the spray, and 10 others sustained cuts and bruises in the ensuing chaos.

"Last night at 8:30 the suspect involved in the pepper-spray incident at the Porter Ranch Wal-Mart turned herself in," Police Sgt. Jose Valle said Saturday. She immediately invoked her right against self-incrimination, however, and refused to discuss the incident further.

Valle said investigators still had nearly a dozen witnesses to interview, including several spraying victims. He added it would likely be at least two days before an arrest in the case could be made.

If the woman who surrendered is the person who sprayed the crowd, she could face charges of battery.

The attack took place about 10:30 p.m., shortly after the store opened for the traditional Black Friday sales. A crowd had gathered to wait for store employees to unwrap the discounted Xboxes.

In the San Francisco suburb of San Leandro, a robber shot a shopper who refused to give up his purchases outside a Wal-Mart. The victim was hospitalized in critical but stable condition, police said.