Current:Home > MyGeneral Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting -Dynamic Wealth Solutions
General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting
View
Date:2025-04-17 06:19:30
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! (12)
Related
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Tyra Banks Calls Julianne Hough the Perfect Dancing With the Stars Replacement
- Yara Shahidi Announces Grown-ish Is Ending With Sixth and Final Season
- Debate over possible Putin visit heats up in South Africa amid U.S. concern over BRICS intentions
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- How Kieran Culkin Felt About Macaulay Culkin's Home Alone Fame
- What would a Trump or DeSantis 2024 U.S. election win mean for Ukraine as Russia's war grinds on?
- Vanderpump Rules' Raquel Leviss' Restraining Order Against Scheana Shay Officially Dropped
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Microsoft president Brad Smith on real concern about Chinese malware targeting critical infrastructure
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- 20 Egg-Cellent Easter Basket Gifts That Aren't Candy
- Why Kelly Clarkson Is Nervous on a Personal Level to Release Album After Brandon Blackstock Divorce
- Tearful Jason Ritter Shares Why He Didn’t Think He Deserved Wife Melanie Lynskey
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Transcript: Brad Smith, Microsoft president and vice chair, on Face the Nation, May 28, 2023
- Kerry Washington Unveils Memoir Cover and Shares How She Got in Touch With Her True Self
- Alana Honey Boo Boo Thompson Shares Message After Sister Anna Chickadee Cardwell's Cancer Diagnosis
Recommendation
Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
Joran van der Sloot, Natalee Holloway murder suspect, severely beaten in Peru prison, lawyer says
Sandra Lee Serves Up Details on Her Date Nights With Partner Ben Youcef
Behati Prinsloo Shares Photo of How Baby No. 3 Will Be Loved By Her and Adam Levine’s Daughters
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
Old Dominion Singer Matthew Ramsey Fractures Pelvis in 3 Places During ATV Accident
Old Dominion Singer Matthew Ramsey Fractures Pelvis in 3 Places During ATV Accident
Sephora 24-Hour Flash Sale: 50% Off Benefit Cosmetics, St. Tropez, and More