COVINA – Police arrested three Arizona women Friday on suspicion of tricking drivers into donating money by falsely telling them they were collecting for the funeral of a young boy, authorities said.

Patricia Quihuis, 53, of Bianca Price, 20, and Esther Munguia, 36, were booked on suspicion of conspiracy and fraudulently collecting charitable donations, Covina police Sgt. Trevor Gaumer said.

The women stood at the corner of Azusa Avenue and Arrow Highway about 4 p.m., each holding signs with pictures of a smiling boy of about five years old, he said. The signs read, “Funeral donations. Please help. God bless. Thank you.”

“I think it’s despicable that people would pray on human emotions in order to steal,” Gaumer said.

A passer-by reported the women to police, the sergeant added.

“He thought it was suspicious because they had been seen at that location a few weeks prior,” he said.

The women initially told police that they were raising money for a young boy who was killed two days prior in a car crash in Anaheim, Gaumer said. Police quickly determined that no such crash had taken place.

The women had collected nearly $1,000, police added.

Friday’s arrests were the second time in recent history that San Gabriel Valley residents have been arrested for trying to defraud generous strangers out of donations through this type of scam.

Raymond Johnston, 54, of Azusa was arrested Sept. 15 on Citrus Avenue near the 210 Freeway in Azusa on suspicion of soliciting for a false charity for holding up a sign asking for donations to help pay for his 11-year-old son’s funeral, Azusa police said at the time.

Upon police questioning, officials said, he admitted he made up the story to make money.