“They robbed us of a wonderful person,” Johnny Wactor’s mother, Scarlett Wactor, said. Camilla Rambaldi reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024.
Investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department arrested four people related to the death of Johnny Wactor, who was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles in May, the law enforcement agency confirmed Thursday.
The search warrants led to the arrest of 18-year-old Robert Barceleau of Huntington Park, 18-year-old Leonel Gutierrez and 18-year-old Sergio Estrada of Los Angeles County as well as Frank Olano, age 22, of South Los Angeles.
NewsChopper4 was overhead when the search warrant for Olano was conducted in his South Los Angeles home Thursday morning.
Scarlett Wactor, the late actor's mom, had confirmed to NBC4 that arrests had been made Thursday.
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“They can’t tell you anything. It’s frustrating but understandable,” Wactor said, explaining the officials with the Los Angeles Police Department thanked her for her patience as the investigation into her son’s death has been underway for nearly three months since the “General Hospital” actor was gunned down in late May in downtown Los Angeles.
“I feel that they would not have made the arrest, had they not felt like they had good evidence, strong evidence,” she said.
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As her son’s birthday approached on Aug. 31, Wactor remembered her “caring, compassionate” son.
“They robbed us of a wonderful person,” the mother said. “We miss him dearly.”
Wactor, who held a news conference Tuesday to criticize public officials, including Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, for creating a “pro-criminal atmosphere,” once again pleaded with the public to be involved and demand change.
“When they do come up for the preliminary hearing, show up. Make sure that they know that we expect the strongest, stiffest penalty,” she said.
Wactor, who died at the age of 37, was shot while trying to stop a group of three men attempting to steal his car’s catalytic converter.
The shooting took place around 3 a.m. near the intersection of Hope Street and Pico Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Catalytic converters are popular targets for thieves because they are rich in precious metals that can be resold.
Wactor starred on “General Hospital” for two years and appeared in numerous TV shows and films.
