Two suspects have been charged with murder in the killing of "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor.
Wactor, 37, was fatally shot on May 25 by thieves trying to steal his vehicle's catalytic converter. He had just finished a shift at a downtown LA rooftop bar with a female co-worker when he saw three men had hoisted his car, The Guardian reported.
His co-worker, later identified as Anita Joy, said Wactor "cautiously approached the men, questioning what they were doing." Police said one of them fired at him without provocation. The suspects fled the scene in a car. Wactor was taken to a hospital, where he was later declared dead.
"The loss of this talented young actor, who was in the prime of his life and had so much to offer the world, is deeply felt by all of us," George Gascón, Los Angeles district attorney, said in a statement.
Police arrested the four suspects, identified as Robert Barceleau, 18; Sergio Estrada, 18; Leonel Gutierrez, 18; and Frank Olano, 22, on Thursday. Their charges were revealed on Monday.
Barceleau and Estrada were both charged with murder as well as grand theft and attempted robbery. Gutierrez was charged with grand theft and attempted robbery, and Olano was charged with being an accessory after the fact.
Speaking with TMZ, Joy said she initially had concerns that the suspects would face lighter charges because they appeared to be minors when Wactor approached them. Knowing that they were tried as adults, she said, came as a relief. However, Joy told the outlet that true justice will only come with significant convictions for those who were responsible for Wactor's death.
"We've had this like stagnant grief, where we haven't been able to really heal or fully understand what just happened to us," she said.
Addressing Wactor's friends and family, LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said he hoped they found solace in the charges made.
"We know that no legal action can ever bring back the person you have lost, but we hope that today’s announcement brings some measure of comfort in knowing that those responsible will be held accountable for their actions," he said.