Men accused of murdering actor Johnny Wactor are also suspected of involvement in a series of burglaries – NBC Los Angeles

Detectives said they found items stolen from pharmacies and clothing stores in Southern California when they arrested the men now facing charges in connection with the murder of soap opera actor Johnny Wactor.

“Our officers were able to link the evidence seized to several recent commercial burglaries in the city,” LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said Tuesday.

“The same suspects have also been identified as perpetrators in the city of Lennox, Beverly Hills, Rialto and Ontario,” Choi said, but declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation into Wactor's murder.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed charges Monday in Wactor's murder. Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, both 18, and two other men are charged with crimes related to the murder.

All four appeared in court on Monday and pleaded not guilty.

Other law enforcement sources said I-Team investigators identified the four accused men more than a month ago and have been working in recent weeks to find additional evidence of their alleged role in the crime.

Choi said that now includes fingerprints and DNA evidence.

“They reviewed hundreds of hours of video footage and executed over 50 search warrants that were instrumental in identifying the four suspects involved in this senseless murder,” he said.

Wactor was shot on May 25 as he returned to his car parked in downtown Los Angeles and confronted thieves who tried to steal his catalytic converter, police said.