Wendy's β€œChili Finger Lady” in Hot Water Again

Anna Ayala, who faked the finger in a chili scam, in trouble for false reports.

There was never any finger in the bowl of Wendy's chili. But there's yet another lie allegedly concocted by legendary scammer Anna Ayala, according to prosecutors.

Ayala, 47, is the woman whose legendary plan to bilk money out of Wendy's six years ago -- using a real human finger, bought by her and her husband from a co-worker for $100 and planted into a cup of fast-food chili -- sparked world-wide attention. The scam cost the restaurant chain $21 million worldwide, Wendy's claims -- and Ayala her freedom. She served four years in prison.

Now Ayala's version of the truth is called into question yet again. She was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a felony and for filing a false police report -- this time for an incident of gun violence involving her son, Guadalupe "Junior" Reyes, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

At a news conference on Friday, San Jose Police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said that "this is the last thing we need. It's tying up our already overworked patrol division and investigators."

In court on Friday, though, Ayala's sister said she didn't know what her sister had done, but she believes she is innocent.

Cops found Reyes, 26, with a gunshot wound to his ankle in front of the home he shares with Ayala. Reyes has a burglary conviction and is not allowed to own a gun.

Mom and son told cops that two men approached Reyes and shot him "for no rhyme or reason," the newspaper reported. They provided a description of the assailants -- and cops found a match, the newspaper reported.

But after police investigated, the pair changed their stories. All of a sudden, Junior was chasing a dog. Then police confronted him with what they thought was the real story: he shot himself, and isn't allowed to own a gun. He confessed to it -- and now he and his mother are back in court Friday facing up to four years in prison.

Again.

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