General Hospital star's friends and family relieved
The co-worker who was with General Hospital star Johnny Wactor (Brando Corbin) the night he was killed has expressed her relief that arrests were made in the May 15 shooting.
On August 15, Los Angeles police arrested four young men in connection with the shooting. Robert Barceleau, Leonel Gutierrez, and Sergio Estrada, all 18 years old, were charged with suspicion of murder, and 22-year-old Frank Olano was charged as an accessory.
Anita Joy worked with Wactor and was with him when he approached his car after spotting three men stealing his catalytic converter. Joy shared her experience on social media a few days later, detailing how Wactor fell into her arms after he was shot. Joy took to Instagram again following the arrests of the four men.
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"FINALLY, Some answers and good news!" Joy wrote. "What a roller coaster of emotions today, yet by this evening we are able to put a smile on our faces, even for a moment! Getting ever closer to bringing justice for Johnny!!"
Joy credited the pursuit of justice Wactor's family and friends have engaged in since that tragic night in May as being key in the arrests.
"I’m so overwhelmed and relieved that the suspects have been arrested and are of age to be convicted!" Joy continued. "The relentlessness and persevering strength that his family and friends have shown is nothing short of incredible and exactly the reason we are getting this news today! I woke up this morning to a flood of texts and articles about the warrants, arrests, and ACTION taken by the LAPD."
Joy thanked the Los Angeles police for being meticulous with their investigation.
"As we figured, Johnny’s murderers are involved in a very brutal gang and I’m sure this is why it was so tactical for police to proceed with caution and collect any and all evidence and information before closing in," she said. "They took down a major part of this gang today and that brought us some serious relief."
Joy said she knows there is more work to be done as the case goes to trial, and she expressed her love for her lost friend.
"There’s a long road ahead, still much more to come before we can truly rest and begin to heal, but today was big. It doesn’t end here though - our mission has been to CHANGE the system, change the acceptance of crime in LA," Joy declared. "We want no more Johnnys to happen, no more families, friends, and communities suffering over senseless killing and crime that goes unpunished. We love you Johnny, your mom is a freaking FORCE and we are not done yet!! 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?'"
After the arrests, Wactor's mother, Scarlett, also spoke to 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."
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