On Feb. 23, officers were dispatched to Sanderson and Stetson avenues in Hemet, where several motorists had reported panhandlers weaving through traffic, asking for donations, according to the Hemet Police Department.

The sign they carried displayed a heart-tugging photo of a teary-eyed boy with claims that he — a 10-year-old named Alex — had died in a traffic accident.

Officers watched the suspects via surveillance cameras and said they got into a vehicle while counting the money they collected. The vehicle was later located in the 100 block of North Sanderson Avenue, where officers conducted a traffic stop.

The driver, Marius Stan, and passenger, Malvina Stan, were questioned about the child on their sign but gave conflicting statements about his identity and supposed death, according to the department.

Police determined the pair had been collecting money fraudulently.

Further investigation revealed that the child’s picture had been taken from a 2011 Romanian news article. The article revealed that the child had not died in a car accident but had gone missing for a day before he was found safe at a local park.

Police also found multiple forms of identification, EBT cards, passports, and other evidence indicating a larger fraudulent operation, police said.

Both suspects were arrested and booked into a Riverside County jail on charges related to obtaining money under false pretenses. Authorities are continuing to investigate the scope of the scheme.

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