By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Authorities in Houston, Texas, said the fatal shooting of  Amor y Restauración (Love and Restoration) church lead pastor, Pedro Cantu, by his roommate at his home last Saturday is still under investigation as the burglar who allegedly sparked the tragedy remains behind bars.

Court documents reviewed by The Christian Post allege that the suspected burglar, Rodney Dushaw Yoder, 44, broke the front door window of 62-year-old Cantu’s home located at 1233 South Kirkwood Road about 12:15 a.m. before escaping after the pastor was shot.

The Houston Chronicle reported that Yoder, who struggles with mental illness, told police that he heard a gunshot as he entered the home and saw Cantu on the ground. He then saw another man brandishing a gun. Yoder said he then grabbed Cantu’s wife, thinking the man would not shoot him if he held her, but he was shot anyway.

Police said he escaped without serious injury.

Both the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the Houston Police Department declined to share additional details about the case, citing the ongoing investigation. Officials told the Houston Chronicle, however, that the pastor’s 35-year-old roommate asked for a lawyer as police questioned him about the shooting.

The HPD stated in an earlier news release that the pastor’s roommate said the shooting was accidental.

“Detectives learned that the armed male, 35, and Mr. Cantu were residents of the home. And the injured male had broken into the residence. The armed male was attempting to defend the residence, shooting the suspect and accidentally striking Mr. Cantu,” HPD investigators said.

Pastor Cantu and his wife, Leticia, who have three daughters, moved to the U.S. from Mexico in July 1990, according to his church’s website. He started meeting other families for worship and Bible study at their small apartment in 1991, and later that year, they formally opened Love and Restoration church.

Days after his death, his family and friends continue to mourn his passing online.

CMC Houston, a coalition of Houston ministers where Cantu served as vice president, remembered him as “an example of faith, service, and love for community” who left an indelible mark on those who knew him.

“Pastor Pedro Cantú faithfully served as Vice President of CMC Houston in his beginnings, and as part of the board of the Houston Pastors Confederation. As a board, we express our deepest condolences to his family, his wife and children, and to the members of his beloved church, Love and Restoration Church,” the group said in a statement. “We pray that the Lord grants them comfort, strength, and peace in this time of deep sorrow.”

During a worship service at the church on Sunday, church and family members openly grieved his death,  according to KHOU 11. One of his daughters, Perla Cantu, made it clear that her father did not own a gun, while his wife shared how deeply he loved his church.

“My husband loved you all deeply,” she shared in Spanish. “He loved the church deeply. I never heard him speak ill of anyone. He loved you all sincerely.”

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/shooting-of-pastor-pedro-cantu-by-roommate-under-investigation.html