MANCHESTER — Police on Saturday arrested a Texas man who allegedly bilked members of Temple Adath Yeshurun out of more than $500 after telling a hard-luck tale during Friday evening services.

Alan Farha of Carrollton, Texas, who turns 36 on Friday, was arrested outside Friendly's restaurant on South Willow Street eating an ice cream sundae and was charged with theft by deception, according to police.

Police say the man is wanted for alleged scams in at least four other states.

Sol Rockenmacher was attending the Friday night service at the Prospect Street temple, where the dark-haired stranger appealed for help to get to Israel for his parents' funeral. “I must admit I had some misgivings, but I did contribute,” he said.

Temple president Bob Katchen said the appeal came after the rabbi asked for prayers for the those who have died. “And this gentleman responded with some kind of story about his parents being killed in Israel and he needed to get back.

“He really took advantage of the situation.”

Lt. James Soucy said an investigator discovered the man, who used the name Alan Fein at the Manchester temple, allegedly had pulled the same scam at churches and temples in at least four different states. “He's been targeting churches across the United States,” Soucy said.

In Columbia, Mo., he said, there's an active warrant for Alan Michael Farha on charges of unlawful panhandling, theft and violation of a protective order.

There were other reports of scams in Lubbock, Texas, and at the airport in Jacksonville, Fla., Soucy said.

After services ended Friday night, a member of the temple gave the man a ride, dropping him off in the area of Hanover and Lincoln streets, police said.

The congregation member became suspicious and did some research online, turning up the similar stories and a photo that matched the man they had met earlier.

The member went to police.

On Saturday, Lt. Michael Hurley said, an investigator returned to the area where the man was last seen.

“The officer had stopped in at a couple of the stores in the area and developed information that he might be staying at a hotel in the south end,” he said.

It turned out Farha had registered at the Holiday Inn Express on South Porter Street. “He was registered under his real name,” Hurley said.

A police officer went to the hotel and learned the suspect had gone to the nearby Friendly's, and that's where Farha was arrested at 2:50 p.m., Hurley said.

Farha was being held on $1,000 cash bail Saturday evening, according to Hurley.

“The money was not recovered,” he said.

Rockenmacher said he gave $40 to the man, who was wearing a skullcap during services. He said he was “disappointed” when he learned the man was a con artist.

But he said, “I'm not looking for revenge. I feel sorry that somebody has to resort to that to get by.

“And I hope that this young man gets some help some time,” he said.

What he does feel badly about, however, is that there was a class of third-graders attending the service.

“It's sad for kids,” he said. “They hear the story, and they want to help.”

Instead of a lesson about doing good deeds, the children got one about deceit.

“It's hurtful to them,” Rockenmacher said.