California police have reported that Samuel Pasillas, a 47-year-old pastor from Victorville, is facing charges for allegedly hiring two hit men to kill a man dating his daughter.

Pasillas, who leads a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California, reportedly paid $40,000 for the attack, which occurred on October 21 in Riverside, according to a news release from Riverside police issued on Tuesday, March 19.

The intended victim, who was shot while driving in Riverside, fortunately survived the attack, police confirmed.

Pasillas is now charged with solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon, as stated by police.

One of the accused hit men, identified as Juan Manuel Cebreros, 55, of Long Beach, is facing identical charges, police disclosed. Authorities are actively seeking a third individual allegedly involved in the plot.

The victim recounted to officers that on October 21, someone pulled up beside him in a vehicle in Riverside and opened fire, prompting him to drive himself to a hospital for treatment, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the incident was orchestrated as a “murder-for-hire” shooting, police disclosed.

Pasillas purportedly paid the assailants nearly $40,000 and provided them with information about the victim’s whereabouts. Additionally, the two men conducted surveillance on the victim.

Police conducted search warrants on residences in Victorville, Long Beach, and Lynwood on March 13, leading to the arrests of Pasillas and Cebreros.

Both individuals pleaded not guilty during a hearing on March 18, as reported by KABC.

McClatchy News attempted to reach out to their attorneys but was unsuccessful. The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, according to police.

Written by B.C. Begley