Four Men Were Arrested in Connection to the Death of 'General Hospital' Actor Johnny Wactor
"We were no threat, and Johnny kept his cool as he always did."
Published Aug. 16 2024, 4:04 p.m. ET
Almost three weeks after Johnny Wactor was killed on the streets of downtown Los Angeles on May 25, 2024, friends and family held a rally in his honor, reported NewsNation. They were frustrated by the lack of answers surrounding the actor's death and were calling upon local leaders to address the violence in their city.
"It’s something that they deserve, and something that Johnny deserved but didn’t get," said his brother Grant Wactor. "It’s just to continually keep this in the forefront as best we can, as the only thing that we can do from here. Johnny would have done the exact same thing for us." Two months later, they might have answers as four men were arrested in connection to Wactor's death. What happened to Johnny Wactor? Here's what we know.
What happened to Johnny Wactor? He was killed after working a shift at a bar.
Wactor was not alone when he died. He was with his co-worker, Anita Joy. They worked at the same bar and were walking back to their respective cars when they came upon three men trying to steal the catalytic converter from Wactor's vehicle. In an emotional Instagram post uploaded four days after the incident, Joy went into detail regarding the events of that early morning.
She said initially they thought the car was getting towed, so they approached the vehicle cautiously. "We were no threat, and Johnny kept his cool as he always did," wrote Joy. He gently told the men that this was his car, and asked them to leave. Wactor kept his hands at his sides but turned his palms out so they could see he was unarmed and had no intention of starting anything.
Joy was behind Wactor and as she later told Kevin Frazier from Entertainment Tonight, he made sure she remained out of harm's way. Although Wactor wasn't being confrontational at all, one of the men "just shot him," recalled Joy. As he fell back into her arms, she asked Wactor if he was OK. All he could say was, "No, nope. Shot." They both fell but Joy tried to hold Johnny up, all the while screaming for help and demanding he stay with her.
One of the security guards from their bar walked by soon after and called 9-1-1. They then tied Joy's denim jacket around the wound and began administering CPR to no avail. Joy said Wactor "fought hard to stay" but it was simply not enough.
Four suspects were arrested in connection to Johnny Wactor's death.
In a statement released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), obtained by NBC News, they announced the arrest of four suspects in connection to Wactor's death. The LAPD "identified three suspects arrested on suspicion of murder — Robert Barceleau, 18; Leonel Guiterrez, 18; and Sergio Estrada, 18." A fourth man, 22 year old Frank Olano, is accused of being an accessory to the murder.
The department's central homicide bureau was able to conduct searches at various locations throughout Los Angeles after the arrests were made. Evidence tying these men to the killing was discovered throughout these searches. Jail records indicate that bail was set at $2 million. Mayor Karen Bass released a statement thanking authorities and said those responsible for these "brazen and heinous act" should be held responsible.
