General Hospital star's alleged murderers caught
Police have made multiple arrests in the murder of General Hospital star Johnny Wactor, according to ABC News in Los Angeles.
After police executed search warrants earlier in the day on August 15, four men were arrested in connection with the shooting. They were identified as 18-year-old Robert Barceleau, 18-year-old Leonel Gutierrez, 18-year-old Sergio Estrada, and 22-year-old Frank Olano.
ABC reports that Barceleau, Gutierrez, and Estrada were charged with suspicion of murder, while Olano was charged with being an accessory to the crime.
Wactor was killed in the wee hours of the morning on May 25 after leaving his job as a bartender at Level 8 in downtown Los Angeles. He approached men he found stealing the catalytic converter from his car. ABC News reports that Wactor was then shot "without provocation."
Wactor's co-worker Anita Joy was with the former GH star at the time and described on Instagram what had happened.
"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," Joy wrote. "Johnny was between me and the man who shot him - as I heard the shot ring into the night, he forcefully tumbled back into my arms and as I grabbed for him, I shouted, 'Hunny you ok?!' And he only responded, 'Nope! Shot!'"
Wactor's mother speaks out
On Tuesday, August 13, Wactor's mother, Scarlett, held a press conference discussing her son's death and the need for a stronger criminal justice system.
"It needs to start with L.A. People watch you from across the country. And this is where change needs to start," she said, according to ABC News. "I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but grief is my constant companion."
After the arrests were made, Wactor's mother spoke with NBC News in Los Angeles.
"It's a great thing," she said. "But you still hold your breath. We still have a lot to go forward, and they still have to be convicted, and I hope I'm going to like what they get once they're convicted. I may not, and that's a hard pill to swallow. He would be happy, but he'd also want to see change, and that's what's important."
Earlier in the month, police released photos of three suspects, as well as the car they were driving, an Infiniti Q50.
In June, Wactor's friends and family participated in a march in L.A. demanding "Justice for Johnny." Former GH co-star Parry Shen (Brad Cooper) was a part of the march.
At the time, Wactor's friend Micah Parker spoke out. "To the LAPD, who are out there, risking their lives every day, who are here with us today, I first want to say thank you," Parker said. "But I also implore you to please -- do not rest, do not relent until these three killers are brought to justice."
Wactor was a member of the GH cast from 2020 to 2022, and he played Sonny Corinthos' cousin Brando Corbin.
