Walmart Black Friday Pepper Spray Suspect Turns Herself in to Police
The Wal-Mart customer who used pepper spray on other customers during the store's Black Friday sales has turned herself into authorities, Los Angeles police said Saturday.
Los Angeles Police Sgt. Jose Valle told The Associated Press that the woman, whose identity was not disclosed, turned herself in Friday night to authorities. He also said that the woman was released pending further investigation after invoking her right against self-incrimination.
She was not charged or booked.
The investigation is ongoing, Valle told Reuters. We still have additional victims and witnesses to interview before we determine what action needs to be taken.
The woman had caused minor injuries to at least 20 people, including children, during a pepper-spray shopping spree. She was hoping to gain an advantage in buying an Xbox 360 video-game console.
The woman allegedly starting putting the pepper spray to use around 10:20 p.m. on Thursday night, right after Wal-Mart had opened for its Black Friday sales. Wal-Mart opened at 10 p.m. this Black Friday, joining a crowd of retailers starting sales earlier in hopes of luring more shoppers.
Around that time, Wal-Mart employees in the Los Angeles-area store came out with a fresh crate of discounted Xbox 360 consoles. A crowd began to gather for its opening, according to reports. Then, the woman began pepper-spraying other shoppers to get a console.
Valle told The AP that investigators still need to interview more than a dozen people, including witnesses and victims of the woman's pepper spraying romp. He also said it would be at least two days before an arrest could be made.
The woman who turned herself in Friday could face battery charges, if police decide to pursue an arrest.
Looking far ahead in any potential case, aggravated battery in California is a felony, and a person could face two to four years in California state prison.
In a statement Friday, Wal-Mart decried the incident as an unfortunate situation.
We're glad everyone seems to be OK, the statement read. We're working with law enforcement to provide what information we have, such as surveillance video, to assist in their investigation.
In another Black Friday incident at Wal-Mart, a robber shot a customer who would not relinquish his recent purchases outside a San Leandro, Calif., Wal-Mart. The victim in that incident is hospitalized but is in stable condition.
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