Anna Ayala was taken into custody at her home Thursday night, San Jose police spokesman Enrique Garcia said.

She was arrested on a warrant alleging grand larceny and attempted grand larceny, Las Vegas Police Sgt. Chris Jones said. He said Friday the case was being handled by San Jose police, who did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Friday morning.

San Jose police scheduled a news conference for Friday afternoon to provide more details.

Ayala's 18-year-old son, Guadalupe Reyes, said he and a friend had gone to the store around 9 p.m. when he got a phone call from another friend who was back at the house.

"We rushed back and she was already gone," Reyes said.

He said he had no other details and was waiting to hear from his mother.

Ayala, 39, was held overnight at the Clark County jail in Las Vegas, where records showed she was being held without bail. She was scheduled for an initial court appearance Tuesday in Las Vegas.

A handwritten sign on the door of her home Friday morning instructed reporters not to knock, and telephone messages were not returned. Attempts to get comment from Ayala's relatives in San Jose also were unsuccessful.

Ayala told police she found a finger in her chili on March 22 while eating in a Wendy's in San Jose. She claimed she was going to sue, but later relented days after police searched her home, claiming the publicity was too emotionally taxing.

When police and health officials failed to find any missing digits among the workers involved in the restaurant's supply chain, suspicion fell on Ayala, whose story has become a late-night punch line.

Ayala has a litigious history. She's filed claims against several corporations, including a former employer and General Motors, although it's unclear from court records whether she received any money. She even said she got $30,000 from El Pollo Loco after her 13-year-old daughter got sick at one of the chain's Las Vegas-area restaurants. El Pollo Loco officials say they didn't pay her anything.

Earlier Thursday, Ohio-based Wendy's International Inc. announced it had ended its internal investigation, saying it could find no credible link between the finger and the restaurant chain.

All the employees at the San Jose store were found to have all their fingers, and no suppliers reported any hand or finger injuries, the company said.

Wendy's also announced that it would offer a free "Junior Frosty" this weekend to Bay Area customers in an attempt to draw people back to the chain.

Sales have dropped at franchises in Northern California, forcing layoffs and reduced hours, the company said. Wendy's also has hired private investigators, set up a hot line for tips and offered a $100,000 reward for anyone who provides information leading to the finger's original owner. 

Source: San Diego Union Tribune

Associated Press staffers Christina Almeida and Joe Cavaretta in Las Vegas and Josh Dubow in San Francisco contributed to this report.