Current:Home > MarketsMan pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing -消息
Man pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing
View
Date:2025-04-18 12:56:01
One of the four people charged in connection to the death of "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor has entered a guilty plea in the case.
Leonel Gutierrez, 18, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and grand theft, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday. Gutierrez, who is free on $120,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 1.
According to the Los Angeles Times and CBS News, Gutierrez faces up to four years and eight months in prison with his current charges.
Wactor, who was best known for his role as Brando Corbin on "General Hospital," died from a gunshot wound to the chest in downtown Los Angeles on May 25. He was 37.
The cases against alleged conspirators Robert Barceleau, 18; Sergio Estrada, 18 and Frank Olano, 22, are pending. They have all pleaded not guilty to felony charges and are scheduled for a preliminary hearing setting on Oct. 16.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
The four men were arrested on Aug. 14. Barceleau – who allegedly shot Wactor in the chest, per investigators – and Estrada were each charged with one count of murder, one count of attempted robbery and one count of grand theft.
Olano was charged with one count of accessory after the fact to murder, one count of receiving stolen property and three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
If convicted under the current charges, Barceleau faces life in prison without parole. Estrada faces a maximum of life in prison. Gutierrez faces four years, eight months in prison, and Olano faces five years, eight months in prison.
Johnny Wactor's mom: 'Grief is my constant companion'
Wactor was shot around 3 a.m. May 25 during an attempted catalytic converter theft in the 1200 block of Hope Street, per LAPD's May 28 news release. Officers "began to render aid" to Wactor, who was later transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"Based on witness statements, Wactor had ended his shift as a bartender at a local bar and walked to his vehicle. When Wactor arrived at his vehicle, he was confronted by three individuals who had Wactor's vehicle raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter," LAPD reported. "Without provocation, the victim was shot by one of the individuals."
During a news conference in downtown Los Angeles last month, Wactor's mother, Scarlett Wactor, said “Grief is my constant companion,” according to The Associated Press.
"I can’t wish him happy birthday on Aug. 31 — he would have been 38," she continued. "I can’t ask if he’s coming home for Christmas. I can’t ask how his day went.”
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Ryan Preece provides wildest Daytona highlight, but Ryan Blaney is alive and that's huge
- Little League World Series championship game: Time, TV channel, live stream, score, teams
- Man killed, several injured in overnight shooting in Louisville
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Court-martial planned for former National Guard commander accused of assault, Army says
- Dolphins-Jaguars game suspended after Miami rookie Daewood Davis gets carted off field
- FIFA suspends Spain president Luis Rubiales, federation accuses player of lying about kiss
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Pete the peacock, adored by Las Vegas neighborhood, fatally shot by bow and arrow
Ranking
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- At least 7 shot in Boston, police say
- How Jessie James Decker Built Her Winning Marriage With Eric Decker
- Remembering Bob Barker: Why this game show fan thought 'The Price is Right' host was aces
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Winners and losers of Trey Lance trade: 49ers ship former third overall pick to Cowboys
- Man killed, several injured in overnight shooting in Louisville
- Loving mother. Devoted father 'taken away from us forever: Families mourn Jacksonville shooting victims
Recommendation
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
A gang in Haiti opens fire on a crowd of parishioners trying to rid the community of criminals
Zach Bryan releases entirely self-produced album: 'I put everything I could in it'
'Walking with our ancestors': Thousands fighting for civil rights attend March on Washington
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Longtime voice of Nintendo's Mario character is calling it quits
3 people are injured, 1 critically, in a US military aircraft crash in Australia, officials say
Travis Barker Kisses Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian's Bare Baby Bump in Sweet Photo