4 people arrested after US actor was shot in Los Angeles

Four people were arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly killing American actor Johnny Wactor while trying to steal a reel from his car.

Three of them – Robert Barceleau, Leonel Gutierrez and Sergio Estrada – were arrested for murder.

According to police, a fourth man, Frank Olano, is charged with aiding and abetting murder.

The 37-year-old actor, who starred in the soap opera “General Hospital,” was shot dead in the early morning of May 25.

Authorities said he had just finished his shift as a bartender at a downtown Los Angeles bar and was walking to his car when he was attacked by three people. The trio had lifted Wactor's vehicle with a jack and were “in the process of stealing the catalytic converter,” Los Angeles police said.

One of the suspects then shot Wactor without provocation and left him to die, police said.

Wactor's brother Grant told the LA Times that he was “one of the most charismatic people I knew.”

In a tribute, General Hospital producers said South Carolina-born Wactor was “truly one of a kind and it's a joy to work with him every day.”

In addition to a two-year appearance on the series as Brando Corbin, Wactor also starred in the NBC series “Siberia” (2013) and appeared in two episodes of the HBO series “Westworld.”

Catalytic converter theft has become a major problem in Los Angeles, with thousands stolen each year. As part of a car's exhaust system, they convert the chemicals emitted by the engine into ones that are less harmful to the environment.

The large number of hybrid vehicles in Los Angeles is particularly tempting for thieves because their catalytic converters do not wear out as quickly as those in cars that run on gasoline only.

During the pandemic, thefts also skyrocketed because the devices contain precious metals, which were in short supply at the time.