WOW did you guys hear about this?

[mayfly]

You all have heard the story of the finger found in Wendys chili, right? Well the police are investigating HER to see if she planted the finger! I never even thought this! Aparently after the investigation started she dropped the lawsuit she filed against Wendys. Hmmmmmm....

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The woman who claims she bit into a human finger while eating chili at a Wendy's restaurant has a history of filing lawsuits — including a claim against another fast-food restaurant.
Anna Ayala who hired a San Jose, Calif., attorney to represent her in the Wendy's case, has been involved in at least half a dozen legal battles in the San Francisco Bay area, according to court records.

She brought a suit against an ex-boss in 1998 for sexual harassment and sued an auto dealership in 2000, alleging the wheel fell off her car.

Speaking through the front door of her Las Vegas home Friday, Ayala claimed police are out to get her and were unnecessarily rough as they executed a search warrant at her home on Wednesday.

"Lies, lies, lies, that's all I am hearing," she said. "They should look at Wendy's."

Ayala acknowledged, however, that her family received a settlement for their medical expenses about a year ago after her daughter got sick from food at an El Pollo Loco restaurant in Las Vegas. She declined to provide any further details.

San Jose police have joined the Las Vegas police fraud unit in the investigation into how a 1 inch-long fingertip ended up in Ayala's bowl of chili at the San Jose Wendy's on March 22. Ayala has sued the franchise owner, JEM Management.

Wendy's spokesman Bob Bertini would not comment on the investigation Friday.

The company, however, maintains that the finger did not enter the food chain in its ingredients. The employees at the San Jose store were found to have all their fingers, and no suppliers of Wendy's ingredients have reported any hand or finger injuries, the company said.

On Thursday, Wendy's offered a $50,000 reward to anyone providing verifiable information leading to the positive identification of the origin of the finger.

Ken Bono, a family friend who lives at the home, said officers searched freezers, a picnic cooler in the backyard and the belongings of an aunt who used to live at the house.

San Jose police dismissed rumors that the finger might have belonged to Ayala's late aunt. However, investigators said they were still looking into the possibility that the missing finger was the result of an industrial accident or foul play.

"The simple fact of the matter is that the finger came from somebody." said Sgt. Nick Muyo, a spokesman for the SJPD.

The Santa Clara County Coroner's Office used a partial fingerprint to attempt to find a match in an electronic database of missing people and those with criminal histories, but came up empty. DNA testing is still being conducted on the finger.

Bertini said Wendy's stores in the area have suffered from declining sales since the incident.

"Obviously the store has been down significantly," he said. "This has been an ordeal for all of us. Hopefully there will be a resolution soon."

[sheriera]

If she did plant the finger herself, it was kinda stupid of her to use a HUMAN BODY PART. Wouldn't a dead bug have been easier and less suspicious, lol?

[eldo]

I just saw a news conference in San Jose and the police department announced they now know who the finger belongs to. Apparently a friend of the woman's husband lost a fingertip in an accident last year and tests show the finger is his.

I agree, sheriera, how stupid to do this with a human body part and think you can get away with it! I'm glad Wendy's didn't pay her off to deflect negative publicity. Maybe this will deter people from trying to scam more companies in the future.

[mayfly]

that makes me so mad! Wendys had to lay a lot of people off because of this.

[bluediamond]

I've seen commercials saying Wendy's is giving away free Frosties this weekend to thank its customers for hanging in during this mess. I think it's a nice (and smart) move!