California pastor arrested in murder-for-hire plot against daughter's boyfriend, who narrowly survived shooting, police say

A California pastor was arrested for allegedly paying two contract killers $40k to shoot a man who was making advances on his daughter, police said.

The victim said he was driving his car in Riverside on Oct. 21 when someone pulled up next to him at about 7 p.m. and fired a gun at him. Despite being shot several times, he was able to drive himself to a hospital, where he received life-saving treatment.

A police investigation led to the arrest of 47-year-old Samuel Davalos Pasillas, the pastor of a Spanish-speaking church in Victorville. Police believe he didn't approve of the man his daughter was dating.

Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback told KABC-TV that they were able to uncover evidence proving Pasillas met with the two men in order to plan the attempt on the man's life.

"There is nothing to suggest that this victim did anything or had anything in their background that would elicit his girlfriend's father to even think of doing something like that," said Railsback. "For all we know, and everything we've uncovered about the victim, he is just genuinely a nice guy that you would probably want dating your daughter."

According to KTLA, police are investigating whether the pastor's religion or ideology might have provided a motive for the shooting.

Police said Pasillas paid the men almost $40k and gave them information about the victim's whereabouts. The men performed surveillance on the victim, police said.

Following search warrants being served on March 13 at homes in Victorville, Long Beach, and Lynwood, the two men were arrested.

Pasillas was charged with solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon. One of the two alleged hitmen was identified as 55-year-old Juan Manuel Cebreros of Long Beach, and he was charged with the same crimes. Police are trying to locate a third man named Jesus Abel Felix Garcia, who they believe participated in the attempted murder.

Both men pleaded not guilty and are being held on a $1 million bond at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.

Pasillas had been the pastor at Centro Internacional de Oracion. Victorville is a city of about 134k residents located in the Mojave desert 75 miles away from Los Angeles.

Here's more about the incident:

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