A Victorville pastor and one of the men he allegedly hired to kill his daughter’s boyfriend were arrested after a shooting in Riverside left the boyfriend injured, the Riverside Police Department said Tuesday.
The investigation started after the victim was shot the evening of Oct. 21 while driving on Grove Community Drive approaching Plainview Street, police said in a statement. A vehicle pulled up alongside him, and gunfire came from that vehicle, hitting him multiple times in the upper body, the statement said.
A bullet struck the victim’s phone, so he could not call for help, police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback said.
Instead, the victim drove himself to the hospital and was treated for his injuries.
Detectives obtained forensic evidence from the shooting scene and the victim’s vehicle and learned the victim had been dating a woman whose father, Samuel Pasillas, 47, of Victorville, is a pastor at a church in Victorville, Tuesday’s statement said.
Pasillas met with men he hired to kill the victim, police said. He provided them with information about the victim, including the victim’s location on the evening of the shooting, the police statement said.
Detectives determined these men were paid almost $40,000 by the father and had conducted surveillance on the victim in the weeks leading up to the shooting, the statement said.
The motive for the shooting might be related to Pasillas’ religious beliefs, but the investigation is still ongoing, Railsback said.
On Wednesday, March 13, authorities investigating the shooting served search warrants at Victorville, Long Beach and Lynwood homes.
Pasillas was arrested in Victorville and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Juan Manuel Cebreros, 55, of Long Beach, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon by Riverside Police in Long Beach.
Both suspects were arrested on March 13 and held on $1 million bail.
Pasillas and Cebreros pleaded not guilty during a joint arraignment Monday at the Riverside Hall of Justice and are slated to appear for a felony settlement conference on March 26.
Additional suspects are being looked into as a part of the ongoing investigation, Railsback said.
Anyone with additional information can contact Detective Nic Cantino at (951) 353-7104 or NCantino@RiversideCA.gov
City News Service contributed to the story.