Back in 2006, Anna Ayala 47, was sentenced to prison for planting a severed finger in a bowl of a San Jose Wendy’s chili in a scheme to extort money from the fast food chain. Ayala is now expected to return to prison for cooking up another tale that someone had shot her son.
Ayala and her son Guadalupe Reyes, 26, had been living separately in San Jose when they decided last year to blame an innocent man for shooting Reyes in is left ankle, when in fact he had accidentally shot himself. Reyes decided to formulate a lie since he is a convicted burglar who is not allowed to have a gun, Ayala decided to back up her son.
This past week, Ayala pleaded no contest to reporting false information or of being a felon with a gun. Reyes pleaded no contest to two weapons-related charges and to falsely reporting a crime. Santa Clara County Judge, Phil Pennypacker stated briefly that at a hearing scheduled for September would likely be sentencing each to two years in prison. Deputy District Attorney, Bret Wasley said he would favor four year sentences given that Ayala had been given a second chance and does not deserve another. Currently they are both being held in lieu of $150,000 bail for each.
Police found Reyes on October 21, 2012 suffering from a gunshot wound outside his home on Michigan Avenue. Police found Ayala standing over him, who identified the shooter as a 25-year old man from the area. After questioning a number of men investigator were not able to find any evidence to support both Reyes and Ayala’s claims. Reyes was then confronted by investigators and admitted to accidentally shooting himself. He also mentioned that Ayala got rid of the gun. Ayala explained to police that she had only lied in effort of protecting her son from facing a charge of felony possession of a firearm.
Ayala managed to bring attention back in 2005 when she reported having bitten into a fingertip in a bowl of chili she bought at a Wendy’s in San Jose. Investigators discovered that her husband, Jaime Placencia had bought the finger from a co-worker who lost it while it got stuck in a truck hoist. The couple intended to file a million dollar lawsuit on Wendy’s. Ayala was later released in 2009 after she had served a four year sentence.
It is unsure how exactly the judge will be sentencing in September, but everyone is now aware that Ayala is not a person to trust due to her history of manipulating the system.
