Current:Home > MyRobert Brown|General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting -Quantum Capital Pro
Robert Brown|General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting
SafeX Pro View
Date:2025-04-09 00:31:38
Authorities have Robert Brownmade 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! (1)
Related
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Jim Leach, former US representative from Iowa, dies at 82
- Stock market today: Asian stocks are mixed ahead of key US inflation data
- Taxpayers could get $500 'inflation refund' checks under New York proposal: What to know
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Sabrina Carpenter reveals her own hits made it on her personal Spotify Wrapped list
- Fewer U.S. grandparents are taking care of grandchildren, according to new data
- Woody Allen and Soon
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- 'Secret Level' creators talk new video game Amazon series, that Pac
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- ParkMobile $32.8 million settlement: How to join class
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- China's new tactic against Taiwan: drills 'that dare not speak their name'
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- East Coast storm makes a mess at ski resorts as strong winds cause power outages
- Kylie Kelce's podcast 'Not Gonna Lie' tops Apple, Spotify less than a week after release
- Travis Kelce Praises Taylor Swift For Making Eras Tour "Best In The World"
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
Morgan Wallen sentenced after pleading guilty in Nashville chair
Worst. Tariffs. Ever. (update)
Luigi Mangione merchandise raises controversy, claims of glorifying violence
Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
Luigi Mangione Case: Why McDonald's Employee Who Reported Him Might Not Get $60,000 Reward
The brewing recovery in Western North Carolina
New Jersey targets plastic packaging that fills landfills and pollutes