Pastor Hospitalized After Attack; Former Church Member Reportedly Suspected

SAN FERNANDO (CBSLA.com) — A San Fernando pastor reportedly suffered a broken hip after he was assaulted by a former member of his church.

Rudy Trujillo, known by his parishioners at Faith Center as "Pastor Rudy", was punched in the head and kicked Wednesday near Maclay and De Haven streets in San Fernando, according to reports.

He was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a broken hip and was undergoing surgery, son Joshua said on Facebook.

"He's a very strong man, strong in his faith," Joshua told KCAL9. "It just broke my heart. My initial reaction was just shock, anger."

The suspect - who has not yet been identified - is reportedly a "former church member who [Trujillo] hadn't seen in years", according to the San Fernando Valley Sun.

Family members released a statement on Facebook that read in part: "As Christians, we are committed to the teachings of Jesus. Jesus teaches us to love even those who hate us and violently attack us. He taught us to forgive those who wrong us. This does not mean we condone or tolerate hatred and violence. Not at all! But precisely because we condemn hatred and violence as evil, we refuse to hate those who hate us, nor retaliate with violence against those who violently attack us."