Feature
Day 2 – By 10 am the next day the department joins the investigation
franchise owners and the operations based upon the information
team are on site to begin the provided by the freephone callers.
investigation and assist the county
health department’s inspection of Day 17 – Police search both Ayala’s
the restaurant. The initial house as well as her father’s house in
examination confirms that the chilli Las Vegas. Mexican law enforcement
preparation procedures were is asked to assist with surveillance
documented and followed as and information gathering based
prescribed. All employees’ hands are upon a rumour that the finger was
examined and found to be intact. brought into the county from Mexico
Later that afternoon Santa Clara after an accident with a ranch hand.
County Health Officer Dr Martin
Fenstersheib publicly confirms that Day 22 –With media attention now
the offending finger is human It’s a sign of Day 7 – After a week of intense intensely focussed upon Ayala, she
tissue. In response the intense the times media coverage and speculation that announces that she will drop her
questions from the media who when has resulted in plummeting sales at claim citing the stress and misery of
assume the finger had been cooked, extortionists Wendy’s – especially on the West being in the public spotlight.
Dr Fenstersheib states that the try and coast – the claimant Anna Ayala goes
public health risk to anyone who damage public with her lawyer in an Day 24 – With circumstantial building
night have eaten the supposedly brand interview on Good Morning America. on Ayala, determining the source of
contaminated chilli was minimal, but reputation Told about the appearance only the the finger is now considered crucial
leaves the door open to possibility. says Chris day before, Wendy’s declines to so further forensic testing on the
Manning appear on the show. finger is required. Also, to assist with
Day 3 – The following morning a the discovery of the source of the
photograph of the finger is released Day 8 – With Ayala now preparing a finger Wendy’s increases the reward
to the media by the county health law suit against Wendy’s and copycat information to $100,000. At the same
department. The photograph along incidents on the rise, follow up time to help get customers back into
with statements by department meetings with the San Jose police the restaurants, Wendy’s announces
spokespeople who characterise the convince detectives that the finger a ‘Free Frosty Weekend’ promotion.
‘victim’ as ‘distraught’ and ‘sickened’ did not come from an internal source The company also states that their
by the incident fuelling the rapidly which prompts them to launch a employees had passed polygraph (lie
growing media frenzy and criminal investigation. At the same detector) tests to prove they were
contributes to the general reporting time, the Wendy’s crisis team arrives not the source of the finger.
that is sympathetic to the as-yet in San Jose with a forensic expert
unnamed woman. By this time, hired by the company. Because the Day 32 – Anna Ayala is arrested on
Wendy’s corporate crisis team meets local medical examiner’s office had fraud charges related the trailer
to devise and review the response no experience of body parts found in allegations. Her husband James
strategy. The team decides to state food items, Dr Lynn Bates provides Placenia is also arrested on failure to
that the company is fully co- direction for testing to discover pay child support to the tune of
operating with the health whether or not the finger was some $400,000. Still hoping to find
department investigation. At the cooked with the chilli ingredients. the source of the finger, police
same time, multiple departments are remind the public that the $100,000
fully engaged in gathering Day 9 – To assist the police reward is still available which delivers
information relating to the incident. investigation, Wendy’s sets up a free a major breakthrough in the
The corporate security department is phone line and announces a $50,000 investigation.
in contact with the San Jose police reward for information leading to
department detectives and hires a the source of the finger. Within six Day 53 – After following up the free
local private investigator to provide days nearly 300 calls are received phone lead, police announce that
assistance. The security department’s including one caller who overheard they have used DNA profiling to
due diligence uncovers evidence Ayala talking about the finger. A positively identify the owner of the
that the woman had previously second caller gave specific missing finger who turned out to be
made claims against corporations in information about how Ayala and a cow herder working for Ayala’s
her home state of Nevada. Wendy’s her husband had scammed the caller husband. He has lost the digit in an
quality assurance department traces over the sale of a trailer. accident and sold it to Placenia for
back the chilli ingredients to seven $100 to repay a loan. Based upon the
different suppliers, all of whom Day 10 – With losses increasing daily, new evidence Ayala and her husband
provide documentation that no Wendy’s executive team and are charged with attempted grand
recent employee accidents occurred franchisees become increasingly theft. Eight months later, on January
that involved a severed finger. This impatient and frustrated with the 18 2006, Ayala pleads guilty and is
information is provided to local speed of the police investigation. At sentenced to nine years in prison.
police. the same time the Las Vegas police Her husband receives 12 years.
30 • RETAIL FRAUD
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