Samuel Pasillas: California pastor charged after hiring hitmen with $40K to kill daughter's boyfriend

VICTORVILLE, CALIFORNIA: Samuel Pasillas, a 47-year-old pastor  was arrested a week ago months after hiring hitmen to kill his daughter's boyfriend.

Hitman Juan Manuel Cebreros, 55, who was one of the men he hired to murder his daughter’s boyfriend in October 2023 was also arrested. 

Samuel Pasillas offered $40K for the kill

Riverside authorities allege that Pasillas offered nearly $40,000 for the hit who then conducted the surveillance on the unnamed boyfriend. 

Investigators said Pasillas provided information about the boyfriend to the men he paid, including the man's location on the October night he was shot.

“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,” Riverside police stated in a press release as reported by Fox News.

“Detectives also determined these men were paid almost $40,000 by the father and had conducted surveillance on the victim in the weeks leading up to when they shot him," it added. 

Samuel Pasillas' daughter's boyfriend drove to hospital after being shot by hitman Juan Manuel Cebreros

On October 21, 2023, Riverside police responded to a report from a hospital about a man who had arrived with gunshot wounds.

The incident occurred around 7 pm in the Orangecrest neighborhood. The victim, an adult male, reported that he was driving when another vehicle pulled up next to his and someone inside began shooting at him.

He was shot several times, according to the police. The victim managed to drive himself to the hospital for treatment.

Police officers recovered evidence from the shooting scene while as the victim was released from hospital but is still recovering from the gunshot wounds.

How police unraveled murder or hire plot

In a subsequent investigation, the Riverside Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Unit, Problem-Oriented Policing Team, and Crime Analysis Unit determined that the shooting was part of a murder-for-hire plot.

“The victim had been dating a woman whose father is a pastor for a Spanish-speaking church in the city of Victorville,” police said, identifying Pasillas as a suspect.

Pasillas is charged with solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, according to Riverside County Superior Court records. Pasillas is currently held on a $1 million bond.

Cebreros has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon. Cebreros, the alleged hitman, is also being held on a $1 million bond.

The third man linked to the case has not yet been arrested. It is not immediately known how many men were involved in the shooting.