On March 22nd, thirty-nine year old Anna Ayala of San Jose, California claimed that, after purchasing a bowl of chili from a Wendy’s restaurant in her hometown – she bit into what turned out to be a one-and-three-eighths-inch long portion of a human finger inside the meal. After immediately spitting out the finger and vomiting several times after the gruesome discovery – she warned other customers to stop eating at the Wendy’s and planned to file a lawsuit against the company.

As it turns out, Ayala has a history of filing lawsuits against her former employer, an auto dealership and El Pollo Loco, another fast food chain. In addition, she also has a criminal past. In 2002, she tried to sell a mobile home that did not belong to her, which caused her victim to lose $11,000. That incident, along with the alleged found finger in the bowl of chili – led to her arrest on April 21st…

…I say throw the book at her.

As a result of this elaborate and disgusting hoax, Wendy’s has lost $2.5 million in business in the San Francisco Bay Area in the last thirty-three days, which has forced the company to reduce its hours – and lay off some employees. To combat this loss and the nationwide bad press they have been receiving, Wendy’s plans to launch an extensive marketing campaign in the Bay Area this week, which will include giving away free Frosties today and tomorrow – hoping that the giveaways will lure back some of the customers they lost.

Personally, I think in addition to some serious jail time, Wendy’s should sue this idiot for everything she’s got. Thanks to her bright idea, a very well-known company has lost both profit and trust – and honest, hard working people have lost their jobs. And why? Because Ayala wanted some publicity and a few bucks? “Believe me it’s been really tough,” said Joseph Desmond, owner of the local Wendy’s franchise, JEM Management Corp. “My thanks also go out to all the little people who were hurt in our stores. They lost a lot of wages because we had to cut back because our business has been down so badly.” Here is a guy who has probably invested everything he has into building his franchise – only to have some leech come into one of his establishments and throw a one-and-three-eighths-inch monkey wrench into it.

The good news is that as of yesterday, the police have determined that, after an intense investigation, Ayala’s story was, indeed, a hoax. “What we have found is that thus far our evidence suggests the truest victims in this case are the Wendy’s owner, operators and employees here in San Jose,” said San Jose Police Chief Rob Davis. That investigation included checking each and every employee of Wendy’s International, Inc. as well as their supply chains, hiring private investigators, conducting polygraph tests, setting up a hot line for tips – and even offering a $100,000 reward for the finger’s original owner. “Our brand reputation has been affected nationally. We are determined to find out what really happened,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Mueller. “Wendy’s employees have passed polygraph tests, and there is no credible evidence that Wendy’s is the source of the foreign object.”

If police do find credible evidence against Ayala, she could face charges of fraud, extortion and/or making false statements – good. Ironically, after police searched Ayala’s home this week and continued to question her family – she dropped the lawsuit threat, saying the whole situation was just too stressful for her. “Lies, lies, lies, that’s all I am hearing,” Ayala said. “They should look at Wendy’s. What are they hiding? Why are we being victimized again and again?”

You poor, poor woman.

What about the stress you caused each and every employee of Wendy’s, the San Jose Police Department and the owner of the franchise? What about the millions of dollars in expenses and profit loss you cost Wendy’s? What about the people who lost their jobs? And what about the dozens of news organizations who reported your hoax as a real story?

Anna Ayala, you are a liar – and you should be ashamed of yourself.

I hope that as a result of her actions, Ayala loses what she has cost everyone else, her money, her reputation and her credibility. I hope that for the rest of her life, she is ridiculed for concocting this blatant attempt at extortion – and I hope that everywhere she goes, people laugh at her…

…while pointing their finger.