Wendy's Finger Finder Arrested

FOXNews/AP ^ | April 22, 2005

[nuconvert]

Wendy's Finger Finder Arrested

Friday, April 22, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO — The woman who claimed she found a well-manicured finger in her bowl of Wendy's (search) chili last month was arrested at her home Thursday night, police said.

Police in San Jose, Calif. — the site of the Wendy's in question — announced the arrest of Anna Ayala in Las Vegas (search). Police spokesman Enrique Garcia (search) said authorities would not give any details until a news conference Friday.

Ayala's 18-year-old son, Guadalupe Reyes (search), said he had gone to the store around 9 p.m. when he got a phone call from a friend who was back at the house.

"We rushed back and she was already gone," Reyes said.

Reyes said he had no other details and was waiting to hear from his mother.

The arrest is the latest twist in the bizarre case about how the 11/2-inch finger tip ended up in a bowl of fast-food chili.

[nuconvert]

I'll assume that's supposed to be a pic of Ernest T. and not just a box with a red 'x' in it. (I hate when that happens)

[Houmatt]

I'd imagine committing fraud with the intent of committing extortion has to be a felony.

[Robe]

Lol. You're really on a roll

naw...wasn't on a roll... it was in the chile

[nuconvert]

Authorities announced News conference later today. Don't know the time, sorry.

[Nathan Zachary]

"What kind of person walks around with a severed finger waiting to drop it into a bowl of food?"

Maybe she worked in a mortuary, or the garbage disposal at a hospital. Or, she was Islamic, and it was a keepsake from her home country where severed hands and feet are passed out to the crowds after a public chopping.

I guess the details will come out sooner or later. There sure are some sick people in this country, thats for sure.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

What kind of person walks around with a severed finger waiting to drop it into a bowl of food?

The same kind of peson planning on winning the lawsuit lottery. With a little luck and the assistance of some stupidity from her marks, she would be looking at a big pay day.

[P-Marlowe]

I go to Wendy's about once a week.

And would you go there if you knew they were secretly paying off people who claimed to have found human fingers or pieces of rats in their food?

Your idea of secretly paying these people off is a recipe for bankruptcy. There is nothing hidden that will not be brought to light. Remember that next time you open a restaurant.

[GVnana]

Finger woman gets fried with that. (my worst pun ever.)

[Atlas Sneezed]

The pathetic thing is this woman has cost Wendy's hundreds of Millions of dollars in business.

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And some of the damage is very long-term. People will have a hard time eating the chili without thinking "severed finger in my mouth" even if they know rationally that it never happened. Chili sales will probably be depressed for years.

[dighton]

Grinning at the Arsonist Community.

[demkicker]

Did anyone ever figure out or say where she got the damned finger in the first place?

This is a mystery like the game, Clue. I say Ms. Ayala did it in the funeral parlor with the garden shears!

[Aquinasfan]

The lesson for everyone in the industry is to settle quietly, pay them off and keep the publicity to a minimum.

OTOH, it would encourage more of the same, but more importantly, people will now hopefully look at these claims more skeptically.

[expatpat]

She is hispanic apparently.

[Aquinasfan]

Instruct the manager that when somebody comes up with something stupid like this, use the money in the box to buy the offending food item back, and then deny everything. It would be a heck of a lot cheaper than all the bad publicity.

How many people would find cockroaches in their hamburgers the next day?

[Aquinasfan]

I have gone to Wendy's more in the past few weeks than I usually do.

I'm trying to do that too. I'm delighted that someone's finally going after these grifters.

[gridlock]

Unfortunately, from the individual restaurant's point of view, it is easier (and much cheaper) to just make these things go away.

[tnlibertarian]

Digital Dining Diva Denies Dirty Deed Done in Diner, Detained.

[AnAmericanMother]

Believe it or not, at least in N. Ga. there IS an Arsonist Community.

Burning a house for the insurance money is called "Selling it to the Yankees."

[fatnotlazy]

Unfortunately, from the individual restaurant's point of view, it is easier (and much cheaper) to just make these things go away.

****

Might seem easier, but in the long run, as was stated before, it just encourages more suits like this. Even without major publicity, word gets out...and the lawsuits just increase.

This woman needs to be made an example of -- big time.

[kingu]

Digital Chili Reboots Woman To Court

Chili Leads Nailbiter To Jail

Slammer For Fingered Woman

Finger Results in Woman Arrested

I'm sure there are more.