"Santa" Shoots Woman

SAO PAULO-- A man in a Santa suit set aside his bag of gifts, drew a gun from his black belt and shot a woman on a Sao Paulo street, wounding her in the wrist and face, police said.

The unidentified Santa was handing out candy to motorists stopped at a traffic light when he yanked the draw strings on his bag, pulled a revolver from his belt and fired at a woman who was entering her car parked nearby.

The woman, who was not seriously hurt, said the incident did not appear to be a botched robbery but gave no other explanation for the shooting.

A witness helped police artists draw up a composite sketch of the shooter Santa after she saw him with his beard, red suit and gloves removed. Those items, along with the gun, were recovered by police.

Local media reported the woman was involved in a paternity suit and said police were investigating the crime as a possible act of retaliation.