Riverside, California – A California pastor and father from Victorville was taken into custody as he was accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme against his daughter’s boyfriend, as reported by the Riverside Police Department.
Samuel Pasillas, 47, faced charges related to the October 2023 shooting of a man connected to his daughter romantically. Police investigations revealed that Pasillas allegedly met with hired individuals, providing them with information about the victim’s whereabouts on the evening of the incident.
The victim was shot multiple times while driving in Riverside’s Orangecrest neighborhood in October 2023. Following the shooting, the victim managed to transport himself to a nearby hospital, where he received treatment for his injuries and is still in recovery after five months.
Pasillas, a pastor at Centro Internacional de Oracion, a Spanish-speaking church in Victorville, was charged with various felonies including solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon, according to jail records.
The father pleaded not guilty to the charges, with speculation arising about his potential motives, possibly tied to his religious beliefs. Another individual, identified as 55-year-old Juan Manuel Cebreros, was also arrested in connection with the incident and faced charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon.
Both Pasillas and Cebreros were held at the Robert Presley Detention Center on $1 million bails. While details about other potential suspects remain unclear, ongoing investigations suggest at least one more individual could be involved in the attempted murder plot.
This case adds to a string of similar incidents involving educators or individuals in positions of authority orchestrating violent acts. Just last month, a former principal in St. Louis pleaded guilty to a murder-for-hire plot involving a teacher who was pregnant with his child, according to reports.