Johnny Wactor's mother calls arrests for murder a gift before his birthday

Johnny WactorThe mother of the deceased son describes the arrest of the four suspects in connection with the fatal shooting of him as the best gift she has received just two weeks before his birthday.

“It’s a great birthday present for Johnny,” Scarlett Wacquer told Us exclusively the General Hospital Star, who would have turned 38 on August 31st.

According to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday, August 15, three men, Robert Barceleau, Leonel Gutierrez and Sergio Estrada – all 18 years old – were arrested Thursday morning following search warrants at several locations in Los Angeles. All three have been charged with murder.

A fourth, 22-year-old Frank Olano, was also charged with aiding and abetting.

Related: Celebrity deaths in 2024

Hollywood mourned the loss of many celebrities in 2024. Speed ​​​​Racer star Christian Oliver (born Christian Klepser) died in a fatal plane crash on January 5 at the age of 51. Oliver had been traveling home from a Caribbean vacation on January 4 with his two daughters – Madita and Annik, whom he had with wife Jessica Klepser. […]

Wactor's mother told Us exclusively that while police were unable to give her many details, which was “frustrating,” she was “very excited and happy” about the news of the arrests, which she described as “a great thing.”

“I hope, [the suspects] tried at the federal level,” she said. “I still hope and pray for a harsher sentence … I know [police] I don’t want them to run either.”

Scarlett added that she will be celebrating Johnny's birthday with friends in his hometown of Summerville, South Carolina. “We'll have some of Johnny's close friends here and we'll be playing board games, cooking food and eating cake,” she noted.

“When Johnny came home, all his friends would come over and play games and reminisce. I miss that laughter,” she added. “So we'll do our best to tell stories and laugh instead of being sad that I can't hug him and kiss him.”

On August 4, the LAPD posted two photos on X showing three people standing outside a car with all of its doors open. Police said they were “attempting to steal a catalytic converter from Wactor's vehicle” when the actor was “shot in the chest.”

Scarlett confirmed on May 26 that her son, 37, died while protecting a colleague from the shooters. “When the person looked up, they were wearing a mask, like a bandana,” she shared exclusively Us on May 29. “When he saw that, he immediately knew something was wrong, and he stood up for his colleague.”

Scarlett told Us that Wactor first thought his car was being towed — and that's why he approached the vehicle. “The car was jacked up on one side, diagonally next to his car, and a person was way down. So he said, 'Hey, man, are you towing my car?' As far as I know, he wasn't angry,” she said. “He put his hands up and backed away, or both, and they shot at him.”

Us Days later, he received a coroner's report confirming that the actor had died from a gunshot wound to the chest. The cause of death was ruled homicide.

Related: Stars you forgot were on General Hospital

General Hospital has had a variety of cast members throughout its 60-year run, including some familiar faces. John Stamos began his career on the soap opera with his role as Blackie Parish from 1982 to 1984. Although he only appeared on the show for two years, Stamos has spoken about the enormous influence General Hospital has had […]

“The entire General Hospital “The family is deeply saddened to hear of the untimely passing of Johnny Wactor,” ABC said in a statement about X after his death was confirmed. “He was truly one of a kind and it was a pleasure working with him every day. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

General Hospital also remembered the late star in an episode that aired June 11, with a title card paying tribute to Wactor, who played Brando Corbin.
“In loving memory of Johnny Wactor,” read the screen next to a photo of the actor.

Following his death, Johnny's family and co-stars have spoken out and demanded justice. This included Micah Parker, who marched to Los Angeles City Hall on June 12 to raise awareness of her friend's death and call on Los Angeles authorities to further investigate his murder.