SAN DIEGO -- Authorities put out a call Wednesday for information on the whereabouts of an alleged drug-using pastor suspected of molesting two underage relatives over a period of four to six years.

Pedro Cortez Rodriguez, the former operator of a church in Tecate, Mexico, went on the lam after the allegations came to light last month, according to police in San Diego, where the crimes allegedly occurred.

"Rodriguez knows he is wanted," San Diego Police Department Lt. Carolyn Kendrick said.

According to the suspect's relatives, Rodriguez, 58, shaved his head and mustache in order to disguise his identity, and he and his wife have sold their property in Baja California.

Rodriguez is believed to be traveling between the Lemon Grove area and Mexico with his 56-year-old wife, Almarosa, and their 5-year-old grandson, Diego, either in an orange 1998 Ford pickup truck with a white shell or a burgundy Pontiac Grand Am.

Police have gotten reports that Rodriguez has obtained a pistol, according to Kendrick. Despite being a fugitive, he may still be working as a Spanish-language preacher at various churches on both sides of the border, she said.

Rodriguez is a balding, 5-foot-5-inch, roughly 160-pound Latino with brown eyes. He is a known methamphetamine user, the lieutenant alleged.

Kendrick declined to specify the purported victims' gender and their relationship to the suspect. She also would not disclose their ages, except to say they were younger than 14 at the time of the alleged sex assaults.

Officials urged anyone spotting Rodriguez to avoid approaching or contacting him and to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-TIPS.

Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.