Woman Won't Sue Wendy's for Alleged Finger

Wow!

Somebody is NOT going to sue?

Now that IS news.

Not if the potential litigant knows she can be found to be a fraud.

The woman has sued before. There certainly is room for suspicion.

Darn! I was really looking forward to the Court TV airing of this one!

Gives a whole new perspective on the term....finger food

Here's what I want to know:

Wendy's is continuing the investigation, and the police may have gotten evidence and/ or leads when searching Ayala's house. What if it IS her dead aunt's finger (dead ant dead ant, dead ant, deadant deadant deadant deadeant deadannnnt... um, what was I saying?) or they find other evidence that Ayala was responsible for the finger in the chili herself, not Wendy's? What would happen to HER? I mean how much money has Wendy's lost because of this?

Years and years ago there was a skit on Saturday Night Live. In the skit Pee Wee Herman and his gang were in danger of losing their clubhouse.

"If only we could find a mouse in a coke bottle." Pee Wee suggested and a massive search was launched.

"If only we could find a mouse in a coke bottle" became my family's shorthand suggestion whenever anyone faced a seemingly insurmountable problem.

I was thinking about this the other day when we had a woman who came into the studio bragging about her several personal injury settlements that were allowing her to live a very comfortable life, free of work and strife.

I believe this is a way of life for some people.

I have a clear impression--that I can't document right now--that all the fast food chains are victims of sue-mentality crooks and that their legal departments have developed very firm ways of reasoning with the offenders so the lawsuits are dropped.

U.S. National - AP
AP
Woman in Wendy's Finger Case Arrested

1 hour, 17 minutes ago

U.S. National - AP

By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA, Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS - The woman who claimed she found a well-manicured finger in her bowl of Wendy's chili last month was arrested at her home Thursday night, police said.

New $100,000 Reward in Wendy's Chili Finger Case


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

Ayala's 18-year-old son, Guadalupe Reyes, 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 1 1/2-inch finger tip ended up in a bowl of fast-food chili.

Ayala told police she found the finger 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 punch line.

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 hot line for tips and offered a $100,000 reward for anyone who provides information leading to the finger's original owner.

___

Associated Press writers Josh Dubow in San Francisco and Joe Cavaretta in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

Stand by for a lot of very bad puns

Such as...

The woman was trying to give Wendy's the finger?




(Sorry.)

Well, now that the culprit has been fingered, Ayala is nailed as havin' been the hand behind the deception. I'm sure, armed with this evidence, the law will subject her to the full wright of its iron fist

It's rumored they captured her with digital equipment.

I think it might be one of my fingers.

Fingers are really handy.

Wendy's chili is the best, hands down.

Roger Ebert gives Wendy's chili one thumb up.

Ooh! Are we doing corny jokes? Someone do one about finger food.

I told you to keep your fingers out of your mouth.