General Hospital Fatal Shooting Rounds Up Multiple Suspects
General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor was the victim of a fatal shooting in May, and now four people have been arrested in connection with the crime. Wactor was reportedly interrupting the theft of a catalytic converter when he was shot down. The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that three suspects were arrested on suspicion of murder, and one suspect was arrested as a possible accessory to the crime.
The Suspects
The people arrested in connection with the General Hospital shooting are Robert Barceleau, Leonal Guiterrez, Sergio Estrada, and Frank Olana. The former three were arrested on suspicion of murder, while Olana was the one accused of being an accessory.
The four were arrested after the Los Angeles Police Department’s central homicide bureau conducted various search warrants throughout Los Angeles.
Interrupting A Car Theft
As of now, the suspects who were arrested in conjunction with the General Hospital shooting have a bail set at $2 million, and it’s unclear if they have lawyers assigned to them at this time.
According to the police department, Wactor was finishing a bartending shift when he saw three men lifting his car with a jack to steal the catalytic converter. The police department also said that Wactor was shot by one of the attackers without provocation.
The Tragedy
One of the witnesses to the General Hospital shooting was Wactor’s friend Anita Joy, who posted on Instagram in the days following the killing saying that “Jonny kept his cool as he always did” and that he asked the individuals to leave his car with his hands open to his sides.
Joy said that a shot rang out and that he fell back into her arms, and when she asked him if he was ok, he responded that he was shot.
The General Hospital actor was taken to the hospital immediately after the shooting but was later pronounced dead. Wactor played the character Brando Corbin in 163 episodes of the long-running soap opera. Wactor would make his debut on TV in the Lifetime series Army Wives in a small role.
Wactor’s Work
Wactor would become best known for his role as Corbin on General Hospital, becoming a fan-favorite part of what’s now known as the longest-running American soap opera in production. Wactor’s other notable roles include his character Johnny on the NBC series Siberia along with the films USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage and Supercell. As of now, additional details about the investigation are not available, but there will presumably be more information on the case as the suspects move toward arraignment.
The People Left Behind
General Hospital’s Johnny Wactor was 37 years old at the time of the shooting and would have been 38 on August 31. His mother, Scarlett Wactor, expressed her grief at being unable to wish her son a happy birthday in the coming weeks and also told CNN that the arrests were a “huge relief,” and a “big win.”
LA Mayor Karen Bass also made a statement about the arrests, calling for full accountability and thanking the LAPD for their work on the case.
Source: NBC News
