Two teenagers charged with murder over shooting of US actor

Two teenagers have been charged with murder over the shooting of US actor Jonny Wactor.

Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, both 18, were charged in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, District Attorney George Gascon said at a news conference.

Another 18-year-old who authorities allege was with them, Leonel Gutierrez, was charged with grand theft and attempted robbery.

A fourth, 22-year-old Frank Olano, was charged with being an accessory after the fact.

All four men were arrested on Thursday.

Wactor, 37, was best known for his role as Brando Corbin in the long-running US soap opera General Hospital between 2020 and 2022.

He was shot dead when he interrupted three thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car on 25 May.

Police said Wactor had left a rooftop bar in downtown Los Angeles when he saw three men who had hoisted his car.

Officers said one of them fired at him without provocation and killed him.

The men fled in a car and Wactor was taken to hospital, where he was later declared dead, police said.

Officers asked for the public’s help in identifying the suspects on 5 August, releasing surveillance images of them and their getaway car.

“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,” Mr Gascon said.

Wactor had also appeared in a variety of films and TV series, including Station 19, NCIS and Westworld, as well as in the video game Call Of Duty: Vanguard.

At a news conference earlier in the week, his mother described the feeling of losing him.

“Grief is my constant companion,” Scarlett Wactor said.

“I can’t wish him happy birthday on August 31 – he would have been 38. I can’t ask if he’s coming home for Christmas. I can’t ask how his day went.”

Teens face further charges

Barceleau and Estrada were also both charged with grand theft and attempted robbery.

Barceleau’s charges include special circumstances, including murder during an attempted robbery and personal use of a firearm, that after a conviction could lead to a life sentence without possibility of parole.

Estrada’s charges have a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Barceleau has been held without bail, while bail for Estrada has been set at just over $1m (£769,865).

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‘A very difficult case’

Wactor’s death has become a rallying point for some in the city pushing for a more hardline approach to fighting crime.

A group consisting of family and friends calling itself “Justice for Johnny” held a rally last week calling for more urgency in the investigation, and another on Monday morning calling for aggressive prosecution.

Police and public officials said that is what is already happening.

Los Angeles Police Department Interim Chief Dominic Choi said at Monday’s news conference that the investigation has been an “ongoing and relentless pursuit” in a “very difficult case.”

Mayor Karen Bass added in a statement that “we must continue to take aggressive action to make our city safer”.

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