Current:Home > MyMan pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing -Pinnacle Profit Strategies
Man pleads guilty to charges related to 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's killing
View
Date:2025-04-25 22:50:20
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! (62)
Related
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Judge Orders Dakota Access Pipeline Spill Response Plan, with Tribe’s Input
- DC Young Fly Shares How His and Jacky Oh's Kids Are Coping Days After Her Death
- Controversial BLM Chief Pendley’s Tenure Extended Again Without Nomination, Despite Protests
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- After Dozens of Gas Explosions, a Community Looks for Alternatives to Natural Gas
- Man in bulletproof vest fatally shoots 5, injures 2 in Philadelphia; suspect in custody
- If Aridification Choked the Southwest for Thousands of Years, What Does The Future Hold?
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Woman stuck in mud for days found alive
Ranking
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Amy Schumer Reveals the Real Reason She Dropped Out of Barbie Movie
- With Democratic Majority, Climate Change Is Back on U.S. House Agenda
- 14-year-old boy dead, 6 wounded in mass shooting at July Fourth block party in Maryland
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Why Hailey Bieber Says Her Viral Glazed Donut Skin Will Never Go Out of Style
- Lindsay Lohan Shares the Motherhood Advice She Received From Jamie Lee Curtis
- 14-year-old boy dead, 6 wounded in mass shooting at July Fourth block party in Maryland
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Oil Investors Call for Human Rights Risk Report After Standing Rock
Did Exxon Mislead Investors About Climate-Related Risks? It’s Now Up to a Judge to Decide.
How Anthony Bourdain's Raw Honesty Made His Demons Part of His Appeal
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Human torso brazenly dropped off at medical waste facility, company says
100% Renewable Energy: Cleveland Sets a Big Goal as It Sheds Its Fossil Fuel Past
With Hurricanes and Toxic Algae, Florida Candidates Can’t Ignore the Environment