A California pastor has been arrested after allegedly hiring hitmen to kill his daughter's boyfriend. The pastor was identified as Samuel Pasillas, 47, of Victorville, California. He says he is a pastor at Spanish-speaking church in Victorville, according to Riverside police.
He was arrested on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, and charged with solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon, according to a press release from the Riverside Police Department. On the evening of October 21, 2023, police were informed of a person with gunshot wounds being treated at a local hospital.
The man being treated for gunshot wounds was shot while he was driving. He told police that at around 7 p.m., another car pulled up next to him and he was shot at by people in the car next to his.
He was able to drive himself to the hospital and was treated. Police learned that the man was dating a woman whose dad was a pastor.
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As they investigated the shooting, police say they discovered evidence that the pastor was involved in the murder attempt, meaning that he plotted to have his daughter's boyfriend killed.
Through their investigation, police say they found that Pasillas hired men to kill the victim.
Pasillas allegedly paid the hitmen about $40,000 to commit the crime.
Pasillas also reportedly helped the hitmen by giving them information. He allegedly provided information about the victim's whereabouts, including information about where the victim would be on the night the shooting occurred.
Police also say the hitmen spent weeks "[conducting] surveillance" on the victim prior to the evening of the shooting. Police served search warrants at homes in multiple locations on Wednesday, March 13.
This led to Pasillas' arrest. He was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center and is being held on $1 million bail.
Another man was also arrested. Juan Manuel Cebreros, 55, was also booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center. He was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon.
