A man whose severed finger was found in a bowl of fast-food chilli had reportedly given the digit to a co-worker to settle a debt. Brian Rossiter lost the finger in an industrial accident. The San Francisco Chronicle said the 36-year-old gave the finger to the husband of the woman who later claimed to have found it in her chili. Rossiter's mother told the newspaper her son was broke after the accident. "He had a money problem. He owed $50 to this character," she said. "My son is a happy-go-lucky guy. He thought it was cute to show (the severed finger)."
Anna Ayala has been charged with planting the finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili to extort money from the company. The 39-year-old claimed she bit down on the finger as she ate at a San Jose Wendy's in March. She later dropped a claim against the restaurant chain, saying the issue had caused her "great emotional distress". The company has lost millions of dollars in business and has been forced to lay off staff as a result. If convicted of all charges, Ayala faces a maximum penalty of more than nine years in jail. |