Four arrested over former General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor’s shooting death
Four men have been arrested over the shooting murder of former General Hospital star Johnny Wactor in May.
Police say the arrests came after raids on homes across Los Angeles.
Wactor, 37, was killed when he allegedly interrupted thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car in downtown LA about 3am on May 25.
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His mother, Scarlett Wactor, said at the time that her son had left work at a rooftop bar with a coworker when he saw someone at his car and thought it was being towed.
Witnesses told police that Wactor was confronted by three individuals who had his vehicle raised with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter.
One of the suspects then “without provocation” allegedly opened fire.
Wactor portrayed Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera from 2020 to 2022.
He also appeared in a variety of films and TV series, including Station 19, NCIS, Westworld and the video game Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Robert Barceleau, 18, Leonel Gutierrez, 18, and Sergio Estrada, 18, are all facing murder charges, while Frank Olano, 22, was charged with being an accessory.
Police had been investigating the possible involvement of the local Florencia 13 gang which had been tied to catalytic converter thefts in the area, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Wactor’s mother Scarlett Wactor was part of a rally of friends and family outside the LA City Hall this week to demand justice.
She told reporters: “I can’t wish him a happy birthday on Aug. 31 — he would have been 38. I can’t ask if he’s coming home for Christmas. I can’t ask how his day went.
“I’m asking that anybody that knows anything please come forward,” she pleaded.
After Wactor’s death, his agent, David Shaul, said in a statement that the actor was “a real moral example to everyone who knew him”.
“In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be,” he wrote.
“Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever.”
