Police investigating how a human finger ended up in a bowl of Wendy's chili in San Jose on March 22 have declared the incident a hoax and arrested the female claimant on charges of attempted grand larceny. The arrest of Anna Ayala at her home outside Las Vegas was the latest twist in a case that has taken a bite out of Wendy's sales and forced the fast-food chain to check its employees for missing fingers.

The Columbus, Ohio-based hamburger chain said it was "thrilled" that an arrest had been made. Losses suffered by the hamburger chain could be in the millions as it tries to determine how widespread fallout from the tampering case at one San Jose restaurant will be. While the ghastly publicity has eased since the hoax was exposed, some restaurant officials suspect that customers may still be spooked by the incident.

Prosecutors have depicted Ayala as a swindler who has filed several civil claims in recent years, seeking cash settlements. The Las Vegas woman says she is eager to clear her name in court. Meanwhile, Wendy's officials are offering a $100,000 reward for information explaining how the finger got into the chili.