Current:Home > MyGeneral Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting -ValueCore
General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting
View
Date:2025-04-13 17:42:37
Authorities have made multiple arrests in connection to the shooting death of Johnny Wactor.
The Los Angeles Police Department took four people into custody Aug. 15 as part of the investigation into the General Hospital actor’s homicide, according to a news release.
Robert Barceleau, 18, Leonel Gutierrez, 18, and Sergio Estrada, 18, were booked on arrest warrants for murder, while 22-year-old Frank Olano was booked on a warrant for accessory after the fact, per police.
E! News was unable to determine if the four had obtained lawyers to speak on their behalf.
Wactor was shot and killed May 25 in downtown L.A. after discovering thieves tampering with a car, his mother told NBC Los Angeles at the time.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting at 3:25 a.m. to find Wactor suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, per an LAPD press release. The soap star was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"Based on witness statements, Wactor had ended his shift as a bartender at a local bar and walked to his vehicle," read a May 28 press release from the LAPD. "When Wactor arrived at his vehicle, he was confronted by three individuals who had Wactor’s vehicle raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter. Without provocation, the victim was shot by one of the individuals."
Police said the three suspects fled the scene in a dark sedan.
Wactor’s coworker Anita Joy later detailed the 37-year-old’s heroic final moments in the wake of his death, sharing that they were leaving the bar together when they came across the men.
"We cautiously approached the men, questioning what they were doing, at first thinking the car was being towed," she wrote on Instagram on May 29. "We were no threat and Johnny kept his cool as he always did, simply stating that it was his car and for them to leave. Hands open to his sides in peace."
Wactor stood in front of her to shield her from the perpetrators, but in an "instant" she said they were attacked.
"As I heard the shot ring into the night, he forcefully tumbled back into my arms," she recalled. "As I grabbed for him, I shouted 'Hunny you ok?!' And he only responded, 'Nope! Shot!' We toppled onto the street where I pushed my legs under him and tried to hold his body up while screaming for help and screaming at him to stay with me."
Joy said she watched her friend of eight years die in her arms, adding she’s “utterly heartbroken and so very angry” over his passing.
"My only peace is that I was with him and this didn't happen to him alone,” she wrote. “My only other peace will be seeing these awful men brought to justice."
Read on to look back on his life in photos.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (449)
Related
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- USWNT vs. Brazil live updates: USA wins Olympic gold for first time in 12 years
- What is turmeric good for? The spice has powerful antioxidants and other benefits
- Noah Lyles competed in the Olympic 200 with COVID and finished 3rd. What we know about his illness
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Breanna Stewart, US women’s basketball team advances to gold medal game at Paris Olympics
- Quantum Ledger Trading Center: Enhancing Financial and Educational Innovation
- Noah Lyles competed in the Olympic 200 with COVID and finished 3rd. What we know about his illness
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Watch a rescued fawn and a pair of family dogs bond like siblings
Ranking
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- How Olympic athletes felt about Noah Lyles competing in 200 with COVID-19
- Sha'Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas steer U.S. women to gold medal in 4x100 relay
- 'Eyes of Tammy Faye' actor Gabriel Olds charged with raping three women
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Horoscopes Today, August 9, 2024
- Embattled Illinois sheriff will retire amid criticism over the killing of Sonya Massey
- J. Robert Harris: A Pioneer in Quantitative Trading
Recommendation
NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
Meet Words Unite, an indie bookstore that started on an Army post in Texas
Rez Dogs Are Feeling the Heat From Climate Change
Large geological feature known as the ‘Double Arch’ and the ‘Toilet Bowl’ collapses in southern Utah
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
Who plays Lily, Ryle and Atlas in 'It Ends with Us' movie? See full cast
Broccoli hair is here to stay: Why teenage boys are serving floret looks.
USWNT vs. Brazil live updates: USA wins Olympic gold for first time in 12 years