Pastor arrested after he hired hitman to kill man dating his daughter

A pastor is accused of hiring hitmen to kill the man dating his daughter in a shooting that the victim survived.

The pastor of a Victorville church, identified Tuesday, March 19, as Samuel Pasillas, 47, is accused of paying almost $40,000 to have his daughter’s suitor killed, according to the Riverside Police Department. 

Investigators said Pasillas provided information about the boyfriend to the men he paid, including the man’s location on the night he was shot in October 2023.

The victim was shot in Riverside in a drive-by on Oct. 21, 2023. He was struck by several bullets, but survived after driving himself to a nearby hospital.

Investigators say they later determined that the would-be killers had been hired by Pasillas, who did not approve of the man his daughter was dating. 

The men allegedly conducted surveillance on the victim for weeks leading up to the shooting, and Pasillas also allegedly provided them details on their target’s whereabouts. 

“He actually provided information to these suspects that he hired,” said Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback. “He paid them almost $40,000.” 

The two men then drove up to the victim, who was in his own car on Grove Community Drive in Riverside, and opened fire, wounding him. 

Last week, Riverside police arrested Pasillas and one of the alleged hit men, Juan Manuel Cebreros, 55, of Long Beach. 

Juan Manuel Cebreros

Detectives are seeking another man, Jesus Abel Felix Garcia, but his whereabouts are currently unknown. 

Pasillas and Cebreros pleaded not guilty during a joint arraignment Monday, March 18, at the Riverside Hall of Justice and are slated to appear for a felony settlement conference on March 26.

Each man is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.