Pastor Accused Of Paying $40,000 In Attempt To Kill Daughter's Boyfriend

A California pastor was arrested last week after paying $40,000 in a bid to have his daughter’s boyfriend killed, according to a press release from the Riverside city government.

Samuel Pasillas, a 47-year-old from Victorville, was booked on charges of solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, the city said Tuesday.

Authorities first began investigating in October after the boyfriend arrived at a local hospital with gunshot wounds. The man said that he had been driving when a vehicle pulled up alongside him and began shooting.

Detectives learned about the victim’s relationship with Pasillas’ daughter and discovered that the incident was part of a “murder-for-hire” scheme, according to the press release.

Pasillas had enlisted multiple men in the plot and “provided them information about the victim, including his location the evening of the shooting,” the city said. It added that the men had conducted surveillance on the boyfriend in the weeks leading up to the shooting.

In a statement, Riverside police told HuffPost that the “victim has since been released from the hospital” and that he is “recovering from his injuries.”

“As for motive, there was nothing the victim had done to provoke his girlfriend’s father to arrange something like this,” the statement said. “He is an all-around good guy. One possibility is the father’s religious ideology could have led him to solicit for the victim to be harmed.”

Juan Manuel Cebreros, a 55-year-old from Long Beach, was also arrested over the incident on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

Pasillas and Cebreros reportedly pleaded not guilty at a joint arraignment Monday and are scheduled to appear at a felony settlement conference next week.