California church pastor arrested in $40K murder-for-hire plot

A local pastor in San Bernardino County is facing charges in a murder-for-hire plot after detectives learned he allegedly paid several suspects thousands of dollars to kill a man his daughter was romantically involved with, authorities announced Tuesday.

The investigation started in October 2023 after officers with the Riverside Police Department responded to a local hospital on reports that an adult male victim suffering from gunshot wounds had just arrived.

The man told police that he’d been shot at around 7 p.m. in the Orangecrest neighborhood of Riverside.

“The male adult victim stated he was driving on Grove Community Drive approaching Plainview Street when another vehicle pulled up alongside him,” RPD said in a news release. “Gunfire came from this other vehicle, and he was struck several times.”

The victim, who authorities have not identified, was able to drive himself to the hospital where he was treated for injuries.

Police said that evidence later collected at Grove Community Drive and Plainview Street confirmed the shooting had occurred.

Detectives with the department’s robbery-homicide and crime analysis units conducted the follow-up investigation and learned that the suspects who fired on the victim were hired by 47-year-old Victorville resident Samuel Pasillias, the pastor at a local Spanish-speaking church and the father of the woman the victim had been dating.

“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,” the release stated.

Authorities also said they were able to determine that the shooters, who conducted surveillance on the victim in the weeks leading up to the shooting, were paid nearly $40,000 by the Victorville pastor to kill the man.

On March 13, Pasillias was arrested after police executed search warrants at homes in Victorville, Long Beach and Lynwood.

Another man, 55-year-old Long Beach resident Juan Manuel Cebreros, presumably one of the gunmen, was also arrested in connection with the murder-for-hire scheme.

The Spanish-speaking church that Pasillias was affiliated with may have used another facility, Turning Point Church, to hold services.

Ron Folkner, a pastor at that church, told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson that Turning Point Church in no way wants to be affiliated with the alleged crimes.

“We host services and people come in for special events,” he said. “So, we have no idea who’s speaking or who’s singing. I have never heard the man’s name before, know nothing about him. It has nothing to do with our church.”

When asked what the possible motive was for wanting his daughter’s boyfriend killed, authorities believe it may have been his religion and beliefs that compelled him to hire the hitmen.

Pasillias was booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center where he faces charges of solicitation of and conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. The pastor is being held on $1 million bail.

Cebreros was also booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center where he faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Bail for the 55-year-old was set at $1 million.

Investigators have yet to release any information on any additional suspects in the case.

Anyone with additional information about this ongoing investigation is urged to contact Detective Nic Cantino at 951-353-7104 or NCantino@riversideca.gov . Anonymous tips can be made by emailing RPDTips@riversideca.gov .

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