A California pastor has been arrested and charged in connection with a murder-for-hire plot targeting his daughter’s boyfriend, according to authorities, as reported by The New York Post.
Samuel Pasillas, 47, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon.
He is accused of paying nearly $40,000 to several men to carry out the shooting of an unidentified victim in October 2023, the Riverside Police Department confirmed in a press release.
#California : A pastor from Victorville, California is alleged to have hired a hitman to kill his daughter’s boyfriend.
LE arrested Samuel Pasillas on March 13th in connection with a murder-for-hire plot to kill his daughter’s boyfriend, (who was shot several times) when a car… pic.twitter.com/Hd9pvVtuZS
— True Crime with Laura🕵🏼♀️⚖️ (@Lauraonthecase) March 21, 2024
“During their investigation, detectives uncovered evidence the father met with the men he hired and provided them information about the victim, including his location the evening of the shooting,” police said.
The incident occurred on October 21, 2023, around 7 p.m. in the Orangecrest neighborhood of Riverside. The victim was reportedly driving on Grove Community Drive near Plainview Street when another vehicle pulled up alongside him and opened fire.
The man sustained multiple gunshot wounds but managed to drive himself to a nearby hospital, where he received treatment. He survived the attack and is still recovering from the injuries five months later.
Authorities allege Pasillas also directed the men he hired to conduct surveillance on the victim in the weeks leading up to the attack.
Pasillas is the pastor of Centro Internacional de Oracion, a Spanish-speaking church in Victorville, California. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court records cited by the Los Angeles Times.
A second suspect, identified as 55-year-old Juan Manuel Cebreros, was also arrested. Police believe Cebreros was one of the gunmen involved in the attack. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon.
Both Pasillas and Cebreros are being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on $1 million bail each.
Officials have not publicly released a motive for the attack. However, KTLA reported that investigators are examining whether Pasillas’ religious views or personal beliefs may have influenced his decision to orchestrate the crime.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have indicated that additional suspects may be linked to the attempted murder. Court documents referenced by the Los Angeles Times noted that at least one individual has not yet been formally charged.
The case comes only weeks after a separate murder-for-hire case in Missouri, in which a former middle school principal, Cornelius Green, pleaded guilty in federal court to hiring a hitman to kill a pregnant teacher in 2016.
mexican nationals doing what they normally do in Mexico.. Deport them when the sentence ois done 25 years from now.