Four suspects arrested in connection with Johnny Wactor murder – what we know

Four people suspected of being involved in the fatal shooting of actor Johnny Wactor have been arrested.

The context

He is best known for his work on General HospitalThe 37-year-old was shot dead on May 25, allegedly “without provocation,” according to the Los Angeles Police Department. They posted the news of the arrests on their X page (formerly Twitter).

Robert Barceleau, Sergio Estrada and Leonel Gutierrez, all 18, were charged with murder on Thursday, and 22-year-old Frank Olano was charged with aiding and abetting murder.

The three murder suspects were held on $2 million bail, per The Los Angeles Times. The newspaper also reported that they were members of the gang “Florencia 13”, which was known for a series of catalytic converter thefts in the city.

What we know

Wactor was fatally injured as he was walking back to his car with co-worker Anita Joy after his shift as a bartender. He apparently interrupted the suspects who were allegedly attempting to steal the catalytic converter from the vehicle.

The actor raised his hands to signal that he posed no threat to the alleged suspects, but according to Joy and the arrest warrant, he was shot at close range.

A security guard came to Wactor's aid and when asked if he was OK, he replied, “No. I was shot,” as reported in the LA times.

The men fled in a car and Wactor was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In recent years, the number of thefts of catalytic converters has increased in the United States. People steal them because of the valuable metals they are made of. The catalytic converters are attached to vehicles and convert toxic exhaust gases.

Wactor is best known for his role as Brando Corbin in General Hospital, in which he appeared in 160 episodes between 2020 and 2022. He also appeared in NCIS, Westworld, The OA, Station 19, Agent X And Criminal Minds among other shows.

Views

LA Mayor Karen Bass addressed the arrests in a statement.

“I want to thank the LAPD for their partnership and hard work on this case and for their continued efforts to keep the residents of Los Angeles safe and bring justice to the victims of the violence. Now we must ensure that those responsible for this brazen and heinous act are held fully accountable,” she said.

Joy also reacted to the news of the arrests.

“FINALLY some answers and good news! What a rollercoaster of emotions today and yet we are able to put a smile on our faces for a moment tonight! – We are getting closer and closer to justice for Johnny!!,” she wrote on Instagram.

“I am so overwhelmed and relieved that the suspects have been arrested and are of legal age to be sentenced! The relentlessness and dogged strength shown by his family and friends is simply incredible and exactly why we receive this news today! When I woke up this morning, I saw a flood of text messages and articles about the LAPD's warrants, arrests and ACTIONS.”

Joy added: “As we suspected, Johnny's killers are involved in a very brutal gang and I am sure that is why the police were so cautious and gathered all the evidence and information before they got any closer. They arrested a large part of that gang today and that has given us great relief.

“There is still a long road ahead, a lot more will happen before we can truly rest and begin healing, but today was a big day. But it doesn't end here – our mission was to CHANGE the system, to change the acceptance of crime in LA. We want no more Johnnys, no more families, friends and communities to suffer from senseless killing and crimes that go unpunished. We love you Johnny, your mother is a damn FORCE and we are not done!! I know you would be so proud of everything we have done in your name and we lead with love and justice as we ask ourselves: what would Johnny do ❤️”

What's next?

Wactor's family set up a GoFundMe page called “Justice for Johnny” to raise money so his mother and brothers can travel to LA to settle any business related to his death.

The fundraiser also aimed to call for “systemic change to combat violence on our streets” by “raising public awareness and holding our local politicians accountable.”

“We are committed to creating lasting change through a foundation in Johnny's name dedicated to supporting other victims and advocating for stronger public safety laws at the city and state level,” the fundraising page states.

“Our goal is clear: We want to ensure no family has to endure the pain we experienced, and we want to build a safer, more equitable community for all. This is not just a fight for Johnny – it is a fight for the future of Los Angeles, the state of California and the country as a whole.”

At the time of this writing, GoFundMe had already raised $144,542 of its $200,000 goal.

Updated 8/16/24 at 4:17 a.m. ET. This article has been updated to include additional information.