Finger In Chili Stumps Cops

Police Doubt Appendage Found In Wendy's Chili Was Cat-Bite Victim's

(CBS/AP)  Authorities said they doubt that a fingertip that a woman claimed to have found in a bowl of Wendy's chili last month came from a Nevada woman who lost hers in a leopard attack.

Authorities in Nevada and California are investigating the origin of the fingertip, which a woman said she found in a bowl of Wendy's chili at a San Jose, California, restaurant March 22nd.

A Nevada sheriff said the chance of any connection is "diminishing." Police in California agree, saying they're also skeptical. They point to the fact that the amount of finger lost in the leopard attack is much smaller than the fingertip recovered from the chili.

Sandy Allman lost her fingertip in February after being attacked by a leopard being kept at her home, about 60 miles west of Las Vegas.

Ayala, 39, claimed she found the 1 1/2-inch long fingertip on March 22 while dining at a Wendy's restaurant in San Jose. She later filed a claim with the franchise owner, Fresno-based JEM Management Corp., which her attorney had said was the first step before filing a lawsuit.

But on Wednesday, Ayala dropped her claim against the fast-food chain because it "has caused her great emotional distress and continues to be difficult emotionally," said her attorney, Jeffrey Janoff.