22-year-old arrested in fatal shooting of beloved pastor; family offers forgiveness as Bible teaches
A 22-year-old man has been arrested in the shooting death of a California pastor whose loss has devastated his family and congregation. The family says they are choosing to forgive, citing the Christian teachings their loved one preached.
Deputies with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at around 2:35 p.m. on Sept. 7 at a home on Eighth Street in Ramona, where they found 40-year-old Felipe Ascencio, the pastor of Templo Monte Horeb, suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics were called, but Ascencio was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Friday, authorities arrested Joel Martin Dukes III, a 22-year-old Ramona resident, on suspicion of murder, FOX 5 reported. Detectives were quoted as saying they're continuing to interview witnesses and gather evidence, and the motive remains under investigation.
The shooting was an isolated incident and posed no ongoing threat to the community, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Ascencio led the devoted Spanish-speaking congregation, Templo Monte Horeb, in worship and community outreach.
“He left an example that we should all follow — to love one another,” said Francisco Tomas, a close friend who once lived with Ascencio during a personal crisis. Jesus Flores, who grew up attending the church, credited the pastor with offering vital emotional support during a difficult time.
Ascencio is survived by his wife, Abigail, and their two children.
Friends described him as a deeply committed family man.
The family held a funeral service on Friday, where many shared memories and tributes.
“His last words to me were, here there’s no going back, only forward,” Gabriela Ledezma, his niece, was quoted as saying. “You can be around him for a second and you’d start jumping around and having fun too. That’s just the kind of person he was.”
Church members continue to gather for services despite the grief.
“At the end of each service, he would come up to us and lay his hand on us to pray for us, and I’ll kneel there with my eyes closed, and I’m still waiting to feel his hand,” said church member Viviana Fonseca.
The family has expressed a desire to forgive the alleged shooter, citing their faith and the example set by Ascencio.
“In the Bible, there’s a verse about turning the other cheek, and he lived it to a tee,” the pastor’s niece, Ledezma, was quoted as saying.
A GoFundMe page organized by the family has raised over $34,000 to support Ascencio’s wife and children.
“She has suffered the heartbreaking loss of her beloved husband, Felipe — a devoted father of two and pastor of Mount Horeb Church here in Ramona,” wrote the organizer. “Any contribution, no matter the size, will mean so much and bring comfort during this painful time.”
