Current:Home > InvestMan pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing -EverVision Finance
Man pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing
TradeEdge View
Date:2025-04-08 11:52:16
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! (22)
Related
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- The Shohei Ohani effect: Jersey sales, ticket prices soar after signing coveted free agent
- US applications for jobless benefits fall again as labor market continues to thrive
- How Shohei Ohtani can opt out of his $700 million contract with Los Angeles Dodgers
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Firefighters rescue dog from freezing Lake Superior waters, 8-foot waves: Watch
- 11 students hospitalized after fire extinguisher discharges in Virginia school
- CBS News poll analysis: Some Democrats don't want Biden to run again. Why not?
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Hunter Biden defies a GOP congressional subpoena. ‘He just got into more trouble,’ Rep. Comer says
Ranking
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Putin is taking questions from ordinary Russians along with journalists as his reelection bid begins
- Taylor Lautner Shares Insight Into 2009 Breakup With Taylor Swift
- From a surprising long COVID theory to a new cow flu: Our 5 top 'viral' posts in 2023
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Horoscopes Today, December 14, 2023
- The Dodgers are ready to welcome Shohei Ohtani to Hollywood
- With death toll rising, Kenyan military evacuates people from flood-hit areas
Recommendation
Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
Updating the 'message in a bottle' to aliens: Do we need a new Golden Record?
Fireworks on New Year's Eve send birds into a 'panicked state,' scientists discover
Congress passes contentious defense policy bill known as NDAA, sending it to Biden
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
Right groups say Greece has failed to properly investigate claims it mishandled migrant tragedy
Veteran Taj Gibson rejoining New York Knicks, reuniting with Thibodeau
NFL Week 15 picks: Will Cowboys ride high again vs. Bills?