Current:Home > MyGeneral Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting -Thrive Financial Network
General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor's Death: Authorities Arrest 4 People in Connection to Fatal Shooting
View
Date:2025-04-11 18:41:34
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! (45)
Related
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashes off South Korea; pilot ejects and is rescued
- Our 12 favorite moments of 2023
- Why White Lotus Season 3 Is Already Making Jaws Drop
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Police warn holiday shoppers about card draining: What to know about the gift card scam
- Watch soldier dad surprise family members one after another as they walk in
- US agency takes first step toward requiring new vehicles to prevent drunk or impaired driving
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- Billy Ray Cyrus' Birthday Tribute to Wife Firerose Will Cure Any Achy Breaky Heart
Ranking
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Millions in opioid settlement funds sit untouched as overdose deaths rise
- Swedish authorities say 5 people died when a construction elevator crashed to the ground
- After UPenn president's resignation, Wesleyan University president says leaders should speak out against hate
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Billy Ray Cyrus' Birthday Tribute to Wife Firerose Will Cure Any Achy Breaky Heart
- 'Miraculous': 72-year-old Idaho woman missing 4 days found in canyon
- Why Shannen Doherty Blames Charmed Costar Alyssa Milano for Rift With Holly Marie Combs
Recommendation
2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
Suspect in fatal grocery store shooting leaves behind debit card, leading to his arrest
UAW accuses Honda, Hyundai and VW of union-busting
Common theme in two big Texas murder cases: Escapes from ankle monitors
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Climate activists struggle to be heard at this year's U.N. climate talks
State Department circumvents Congress, approves $106 million sale of tank ammo to Israel
Death of Adam Johnson sparks renewed interest in guard mandates for youth hockey