Current:Home > NewsMan pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing -Wealth Legacy Solutions
Man pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing
View
Date:2025-04-14 19:48:20
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! (937)
Related
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- High School Graduation Gift Guide: Score an A+ With Jewelry, College Basics, Travel Needs & More
- Neil Patrick Harris Shares Amazon Father’s Day Gift Ideas Starting at $15
- Unsafe streets: The dangers facing pedestrians
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Michael Cohen plans to call Donald Trump Jr. as a witness in trial over legal fees
- Florida man's double life is exposed in the hospital when his wife meets his fiancée
- John Mellencamp Admits He Was a S--tty Boyfriend to Meg Ryan Nearly 4 Years After Breakup
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Southern Charm Star Taylor Ann Green's Brother Worth Dead at 36
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- How an 11-year-old Iowa superfan got to meet her pop idol, Michael McDonald
- Missouri man convicted as a teen of murdering his mother says the real killer is still out there
- Tighten, Smooth, and Firm Skin With a 70% Off Deal on the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Eye Tightener
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Fortnite maker Epic Games agrees to settle privacy and deception cases
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions Plunge in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic
- AP Macro gets a makeover (Indicator favorite)
Recommendation
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
You have summer plans? Jim Gaffigan does not
Can America’s First Floating Wind Farm Help Open Deeper Water to Clean Energy?
2022 was the year crypto came crashing down to Earth
'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
Get a $64 Lululemon Tank for $19, $64 Shorts for $29, $119 Pants for $59 and More Mind-Blowing Finds
Southwest cancels 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours in a 'full-blown meltdown'
In New York’s 16th Congressional District, a Progressive Challenge to the Democratic Establishment Splits Climate Groups