4 arrested in fatal shooting of US actor in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, four individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder of American actor Johnny Wactor, who was reportedly killed while his car was being robbed.
Robert Barceleau, Leonel Gutierrez, and Sergio Estrada have been charged with murder. A fourth suspect, Frank Olano, faces a charge of accessory to murder.
The 37-year-old Wactor, known for his role in the soap opera General Hospital, was fatally shot in the early hours of May 25.
Authorities stated that Wactor had just finished a bartending shift and was walking to his car when he was confronted by the suspects.
The trio had lifted Wactor’s vehicle with a floor jack and were attempting to steal the catalytic converter when one of them shot him without warning, then left him to die.
Wactor’s brother, Grant, described him to the LA Times as “one of the most charismatic people I knew.” The producers of General Hospital paid tribute to Wactor, noting that he was “truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day.”
As well as a two-year stint on the show as Brando Corbin, Wactor also starred in the 2013 NBC series Siberia and featured in two episodes of HBO’s Westworld.
Thefts of catalytic converters have become a big problem in Los Angeles, with thousands stolen each year. Part of cars’ exhaust systems, they convert chemicals emitted by engine into less harmful ones for the environment.
The large number of hybrid vehicles in Los Angeles are especially tempting to thieves because such they do not wear down converters as quickly as cars that only run on gasoline.
Thefts also spiked during the pandemic because the devices contain precious metals that were in short supply then.
