Woman who said she found finger in chili arrested in LV

Friday, April 22, 2005 | 11:15 a.m.

The woman who claimed she found a well-manicured finger in her bowl of Wendy's chili last month was arrested Thursday night in Las Vegas on charges of grand larceny and attempted grand larceny, police said.

Anna Ayala, 39, was taken into custody about 9 p.m. at her home about near Serene Avenue and Maryland Parkway in southeast Las Vegas, San Jose police spokesman Enrique Garcia said.

Ayala made national news after telling police she found the 1 1/2-inch fingertip in her chili March 22 while eating at a Wendy's in San Jose. She said she intended to sue but relented, claiming the publicity was too emotionally taxing.

When police and health officials failed to find any missing digits among the workers involved in the restaurant's supply chain, suspicion fell on Ayala, whose story has become a late-night TV punch line.

This morning it was still unclear where the finger came from. Garcia said police would not give any details until a press conference at 1 p.m. today.

The arrest brought relief to Wendy's.

"We're thrilled that an arrest has been made," Tom Mueller, president and chief operating officer of Wendy's North America, said. "We applaud the efforts of the San Jose Police Department and other authorities, and we're looking forward to hearing more details at the police department's press conference."

Ayala was being held without bail this morning in the Clark County Detention Center on a fugitive warrant issued by San Jose Police.

She is scheduled to appear in court at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, and San Jose officials are expected to begin extradition procedures.

San Jose Police, assisted by Metro Police, raided Ayala's home on April 7. Any lists of documents or other evidence seized has been sealed and has not been made public.

Ayala's 18-year-old son, Guadalupe Reyes, said he was worried about her.

"A friend of mine who was here when it happened called us when it happened," Reyes said.

When Reyes and 24-year-old Ken Bono rushed to the house, there was no one at home.

Reyes said they had moved to Las Vegas from San Jose about four years ago. Bono, a U.S. Marine, had rented a room in the home for about four months, he said.

San Jose Police also investigated a possible link between the finger in the chili and a Pahrump woman whose finger was bitten off in late February by a leopard.

Pahrump resident Sandra Allman lost a finger in the attack. Carol Asvestas, director of the Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio, had witnessed the leopard attack and noticed uncanny resemblances between the two fingertips.

However, the police ruled out this month any link with the fingertip from the animal attack to the digit in the chili.

Ayala has a litigious history. She has filed claims against several corporations, including a former employer and General Motors, though it is unclear from court records whether she received any money. She said she got $30,000 from El Pollo Loco after her 13-year-old daughter got sick at one of the chain's Las Vegas-area restaurants. El Pollo Loco officials say she did not get a dime.

Earlier Thursday, Ohio-based Wendy's International Inc. announced it had ended its internal investigation, saying it could find no credible link between the finger and the restaurant chain.

All the employees at the San Jose store were found to have all their fingers, and no suppliers reported any hand or finger injuries, the company said.

Sales have dropped at franchises in Northern California, forcing layoffs and reduced hours, the company said. Wendy's also has hired private investigators, set up a hotline for tips and offered a $100,000 reward for anyone who provides information leading to the finger's original owner.