Current:Home > FinanceMan pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing -AssetVision
Man pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing
View
Date:2025-04-14 21:37:10
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! (54)
Related
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- A nationwide emergency alert test is coming to your phone on Wednesday
- Meet Jellybean, a new court advocate in Wayne County, Michigan. She keeps victims calm.
- California governor chooses labor leader and Democratic insider to fill Feinstein’s Senate seat
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Oklahoma woman riding lawn mower at airport dies after plane wing strikes her
- The Summer I Turned Pretty's Gavin Casalegno Trolls NY Jets for Picking #TeamConrad
- A string of volcanic tremors raises fears of mass evacuations in Italy
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Powerball jackpot hits $1.2 billion after no winners Monday
Ranking
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Missing Houston woman was witness in murder case; no-contact order was issued in June, records show
- US announces sweeping action against Chinese fentanyl supply chain producers
- Swiss LGBTQ+ rights groups hail 60-day sentence for polemicist who called journalist a ‘fat lesbian’
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Swiss LGBTQ+ rights groups hail 60-day sentence for polemicist who called journalist a ‘fat lesbian’
- Schumer to lead a bipartisan delegation of senators to China, South Korea and Japan next week
- Where's the inheritance? Why fewer older Americans are writing wills or estate planning
Recommendation
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness lives up to its promises, on and off-road
Medicare open enrollment for 2024 is coming soon. Here's when it is and how to prepare.
Pamela Anderson Reveals How Having Self-Acceptance Inspired Her Makeup-Free Movement
The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
Bear attacks, injures woman in Montana west of Glacier park near Canadian border
Things to know about the Vatican’s big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church
Show them the medals! US women could rake in hardware at world gymnastics championships