Two 18-year-old men have been charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on Monday. Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, both 18, are each facing one count of murder. The men have also been charged with one count of grand theft and one count of attempted robbery.
Barceleau is being held without bail and faces possible life in prison without parole. Estrada’s bail is set at over US$2 million (about C$2.7 million). If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Two more suspects were arrested by police, but do not face murder charges. Leonel Gutierrez, 18, was charged with one count of attempted robbery and one count of grand theft. Frank Olano, 22, is facing one count of accessory after the fact to murder, one count of receiving stolen property and three counts of being a felon with a firearm.
Gutierrez’s bail is more than US$1 million (C$1.3 million), while Olano’s bail is set at US$120,000 (C$163,600). Olano faces five years and eight months in prison. Gutierrez could serve a sentence of up to four years and eight months.
Wactor, who was 37, died in May during a catalytic converter theft attempt.
The actor has been working at a downtown rooftop bar when he approached a group of three masked thieves attempting to strip parts from his hoisted vehicle around 3 a.m. local time. Police said the suspects fired a gun at Wactor without provocation.
Wactor’s mother said the actor died while shielding a bar coworker from gunfire. He was shot in the chest and later died in hospital. The three suspects fled the scene of the crime.
The arrests come about a month after the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) released grainy still images from security camera footage related to the shooting incident. In the photos, three men are seen entering a stolen black Infiniti Q50. Police said the suspects were driving the sedan on the day Wactor was killed.
LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said he is “confident” the four suspects have been arrested on the right charges.
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At a news conference on Monday, Choi told reporters that authorities are still involved in the “ongoing and relentless pursuit” for this “very difficult case.”
District Attorney George Gascón said Wactor’s life was “senselessly taken.”
“The loss of this talented young actor, who was in the prime of his life and had so much to offer the world, is deeply felt by all of us,” Gascón said. “Mr. Wactor’s work and presence touched the lives of many, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and the entire community who mourn this devastating loss.”
Gascón promised to bring those responsible for Wactor’s death to justice.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass thanked police for their investigation and called for “aggressive action to make our city safer.”
The investigation is ongoing.
Wactor played Brando Corbin on General Hospital from 2020 to 2022. He appeared in nearly 200 episodes of General Hospital and remained a recurring character in the series until his character was written off.
He also appeared in NCIS, Westworld and Criminal Minds.
Catalytic converter theft
The theft of catalytic converters is common. The exhaust emission control device, which is made from a variety of precious metals, including platinum, palladium and cadmium, is commonly stolen and resold for its valuable parts.
Last year in British Columbia alone, the theft of catalytic converters accounted for more than $8 million in claims to the province’s insurance corporation, ICBC. Some Canadian municipalities have encouraged drivers to have their converters etched with the last eight digits of their VIN to better prevent and track theft.
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