Suspects in 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's case charged with murder
Formal criminal charges have been filed in the murder of "General Hospital" star Johnny Wactor, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday during a press conference.
Four individuals connected with the case were arrested last week: Robert Barcelau, 18; Leonel Guiterrez, 18; and Sergio Estrada, were booked on arrest warrants for murder. A fourth person, Frank Olano, 22, was arrested with a warrant as an accessory.
Barcelau is charged with one count of murder "with special circumstances of murder during an attempted robbery and personal use of a firearm; one count of attempted robbery with personal use of a firearm; and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm," per a press release for the DA's office.
If convicted, Barcelau faces a sentence of life in prison without parole.
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Estrada was charged with one count of murder with an allegation of being armed with a firearm, as well as attempted robbery and grand theft, both with firearms. He faces a maximum life sentence.
Gutierrez was charged with one count of attempted robbery with a firearm, and one count of grand theft, facing almost five years in prison. The fourth individual, Olano, was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder, receiving stolen property, as well as three counts of being a felon with a firearm, facing almost six years in prison.
Barcelau is being held without bail, with Estrada being held on over $2,070,00 bail, Olano over $1,080,000, and Guiterrez for $120,000. They are all being arraigned later Monday.
Lt. Ryan Rabbett from LAPD Central Homicide confirmed the suspects are affiliated with the Florencia 13 gang in Los Angeles, but could not confirm or speak about the level of their involvement in the gang. He also confirmed all four have "lengthy" criminal records, including as juveniles.
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Wactor was shot and killed in the early hours of May 25 in downtown Los Angeles while leaving his bartending job with a co-worker.
In a press release obtained by Fox News Digital, the LAPD said Wactor was "confronted by three individuals" after noticing his car had been "raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter."
"Los Angeles Police Department, Central Area officers responded to a radio call of an Assault with a Deadly Weapon-Shooting in the 1200 block of Hope Street," according to the release. "Upon officers’ arrival they discovered the victim, identified as 37-year-old John William Wactor, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers began to render aid to the victim and requested the response of emergency medical services."
Wactor was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
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Wactor's mother, Scarlett Wacor, told Fox News Digital that Wactor and a co-worker were asked to stay late at the rooftop bar where they worked and were returning to their cars when he was killed.
"They were walking to their car, and when they get there, Johnny’s car, which was parked in front of the co-worker’s, looked like it was jacked to one side, and from what I understand, he said, ‘Hey, man, you towing my car?’ … And the person looked up and had a mask, and so then I guess he knew they weren’t doing that, and so he stepped in front of the co-worker and then backed up and put his hands up or both, and the person shot him," Scarlett said.
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"And the crazy thing is, he wasn’t trying to stop them from taking it. They could have just left or taken it, he probably would have just given them the car," she added. "They were very much a coward[ly] person… I hope they catch them, and I hope there’s justice for Johnny. That’s all I can hope and pray for. I will see him again. But down here on Earth, it’s going to be a very, very long road without him for me and his brothers."
Wactor’s co-worker, Anita Joy, spoke out in the days following his death, sharing the harrowing details of the incident in an Instagram post.
"Johnny was between me and the man who shot him," she continued. "It was too close range, too extreme of a wound for him to survive it but my god, he fought to stay," she wrote. "I am utterly heartbroken and so very angry. My only peace is that I was with him and this didn’t happen to him alone – my only other peace will be seeing these awful men brought to justice."
Friends and family have been urging authorities to find the perpetrators in Wactor's death, first holding a press conference in June, and another in August following the release of a community alert with photos of the suspects believed to be responsible for Wactor’s death.
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"I'm asking that anybody that knows anything please come forward," Scarlett said at the August press conference according to The Associated Press.
"It will help me and his brothers in our healing to know that they've been captured and convicted."
"Grief is my constant companion. I can’t wish him 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," she said.
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Wactor portrayed Brando Corbin on "General Hospital" for 164 episodes from 2020-22. His other credits included "Animal Kingdom," "Criminal Minds" and "Westworld."
A funeral was held for Wactor at the Summerville Baptist Church in Summerville, South Carolina, his home state, in June. The service was held by Wactor's family, including his mother, Scarlett, and his brothers, Grant and Lance.