Arraignment set in murder of former General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor

Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday for two men accused of murder and other charges in connection with the killing of former “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor as he walked toward his parked car in downtown Los Angeles in May.

The suspected shooter, 18-year-old Robert Isaiah Barceleau of Huntington Park, is charged with murder and murder under special circumstances during the execution of an attempted robbery in connection with the actor's May 25 killing.

Barceleau – who faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted – also faces charges of attempted robbery and grand larceny. In both cases, he is accused of being armed with a firearm.

Sergio Estrada, 18, was also charged with murder, but not with any special circumstances. He was also charged with attempted robbery, grand theft and possession of a weapon.

Two other suspects were arrested on lesser charges on August 19.

Leonel Gutierrez, 18, was charged with attempted robbery and grand theft by embezzlement, in both cases for possession of a firearm.

The fourth suspect in the case, 22-year-old Frank Olano of Inglewood, was charged with aiding and abetting murder, receiving stolen goods and three counts of illegal possession of a firearm.

Wactor, 37, was shot around 3:30 a.m. on May 25 as he and a co-worker walked to his parked car near the intersection of Hope Street and Pico Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles after finishing his shift as a bartender at the nearby Level 8 bar/restaurant.

According to police, the two encountered a gang of men attempting to steal the catalytic converter from Wactor's car, and one of them shot Wactor as he approached.

The suspects lifted Wactor's vehicle with a jack and were trying to steal the catalytic converter, police said. Wactor was shot by one of the perpetrators without provocation.

The LAPD had previously released surveillance photos of the suspects believed to have killed Wactor, along with images of a suspected stolen 2018 black four-door Infiniti Q50 that the suspects are believed to have used to flee north on Hope Street.

Barceleau, Estrada, Gutierrez and Olano were arrested in a series of raids by the Los Angeles Police Department on August 15.

They made their first appearance in connection with the charges in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on August 19.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Susan J. De Witt ordered Barceleau held without bail. Estrada's bail was set at just over $2 million, while Gutierrez's bail was set at $120,000 and Olano's bail was set at just over $1 million.

Gutierrez was released on bail on August 21, while the other three men remain behind bars, according to prison records.

At a press conference on the day of the arraignment, District Attorney George Gascón stated that Barceleau was believed to be the person who “shot Johnny in the chest and took his life.”

“This cowardly act resulted in the loss of a son, a brother and, for many, a friend,” Gascón said. “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 regrettable for all of us.”

The district attorney said he recognized that the charges were “small consolation to Mr. Wactor's friends and family.”

Before the charges were announced, Wactor's friends and family urged Gascón to seek the maximum sentence and the most serious charges against the suspects.

In a statement read on behalf of the family outside the courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, the actor's mother said they were impatiently awaiting the “most serious” charges and any available sentencing enhancements or for “them (the suspects) to be brought before a federal court.”

“This is far from over,” Scarlett Wactor said in the statement. “We ask everyone to continue to pray for the harshest punishments” for her son's murder.

Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León was also among those calling for “maximum penalties” in this case.

“Johnny Wactor was murdered. His life was taken for a piece of metal, a piece of metal that they didn't even take away from him at the end of the day,” the councilman told reporters. “My heart, and I think the heart of Los Angeles, goes out to the family of Johnny Wactor. He came all the way from South Carolina to make a name for himself, and his life ended in great tragedy. That's not who we are as a great city, (the) city of Los Angeles.”

De León praised the Los Angeles Police Department's homicide unit for “working around the clock to find the killers” and “leaving no stone unturned” in their investigation into Wactor's death.

Catalytic converters are a popular target for thieves because they are rich in precious metals that can be resold.

Wactor appeared in nearly 200 episodes of “General Hospital” from 2020 to 2022. His other credits include “Westworld,” “The OA,” “NCIS,” “Station 19,” “Criminal Minds,” and “Hollywood Girl.”

Arraignment set in murder of former General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor

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