DOCUMENT: Crime

Chili Woman On Ice

Cops nail Vegas woman in Wendy's finger caper

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Chili Woman On Ice

APRIL 22--Meet Anna Ayala.

The Las Vegas woman was arrested last night and hit with felony theft charges in connection with her claim to have found a severed finger in a bowl of chili served to her last month at a Wendy's restaurant in San Jose, California.

In a statement of facts, the San Jose Police Department provided details about the 39-year-old Ayala's alleged Wendy's plot, for which she was charged with attempted grand theft. Ayala was also slapped with a second, unrelated theft charge in connection with an alleged fraudulent mobile home sale.

She is being held in Las Vegas's Clark County Detention Center, where the adjacent mug shot was snapped.

Ayala filed a legal claim against the food chain after she allegedly found the 1-1/2-inch finger on March 22. But she withdrew the claim after police raided her Vegas home earlier this month. "Lies, lies, lies, that's all I am hearing," Ayala said when law enforcement suspicion fell on her. "They should look at Wendy's. What are they hiding? Why are we being victimized again and again?" (6 pages)