Current:Home > InvestGeneral Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting -WealthMindset Learning
General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting
View
Date:2025-04-26 00:13:09
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! (98381)
Related
- Average rate on 30
- Everything Everywhere Actor Ke Huy Quan's Oscars Speech Will Have You Crying Happy Tears
- Here's How Chris Rock Celebrated the 2023 Oscars Far Away From Hollywood
- The European Union Wants A Universal Charger For Cellphones And Other Devices
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Facebook will adopt new policies to address harassment targeting public figures
- Sudan military factions at war with each other leave civilians to cower as death toll tops 100
- Former Indian lawmaker and his brother shot dead by men posing as journalists in attack caught live on TV
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- TikTok Activists Are Flooding A Texas Abortion Reporting Site With Spam
Ranking
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- A lost hiker ignored rescuers' phone calls, thinking they were spam
- A Judge Rules Apple Must Make It Easier To Shop Outside The App Store
- Facebook's new whistleblower is renewing scrutiny of the social media giant
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Here's How Chris Rock Celebrated the 2023 Oscars Far Away From Hollywood
- Bus with musicians crashes in western India, killing 13 and injuring 29 others
- GoDaddy Is Booting A Site That Sought Anonymous Tips About Texas Abortions
Recommendation
North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
Prince Harry to attend King Charles' coronation without Meghan
You can now ask Google to scrub images of minors from its search results
Netflix employees are staging a walkout as a fired organizer speaks out
Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
This Super Affordable Amazon Sheet Set Has 355,600+ Five-Star Reviews
Netflix fires employee as internal conflicts over latest Dave Chappelle special grow
Meryl Streep Takes Center Stage in Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Teaser