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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) — An Inland Empire pastor is accused of hiring hitmen to kill the man dating his daughter in a shooting last year that the victim survived. Investigators say Samuel Davalos Pasillas, 47, pastor of a Victorville church, paid two men almost $40,000 to target the man involved with his daughter.
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.
Another man, Jesus Abel Felix Garcia, is under warrant and being sought by detectives.
Each man is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
In its statement, which identified Mr. Pasillas as the pastor, the police did not name his church. The Los Angeles Times identified the church as the Centro Internacional de Oración.
SHOOT EM? I HARDLY KNEW EM!
Rafael Porras, who answered a telephone number listed for the church and identified himself at a senior pastor, said he had no comment on the arrest or the investigation, but he said that Mr. Pasillas had been a volunteer at the church for 10 years and not part of his staff.
