Actor Johnny Wactor is an American, and four people have been arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of killing him while attempting to steal a part from his vehicle.
Three were taken into custody on suspicion of murder: Sergio Estrada, Leonel Gutierrez, and Robert Barceleau.
Police have charged a fourth, Frank Olano, with accessory to murder.
The actor, 37, who starred in the television series General Hospital, was shot early on May 25.
Three individuals allegedly confronted him as he was leaving a downtown Los Angeles bar after finishing his shift as a bartender and making his way to his car. According to Los Angeles police, the three were “in the process of stealing the catalytic converter” and had Wactor’s car raised with a floor jack.
Wactor was then shot by an unprovoked suspect, who left him for dead, according to the police.
Wactor’s brother, Grant, told the LA Times that he was “one of the most charismatic people I knew”.
A tribute shared by producers at General Hospital said South Carolina-born Wactor was “truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day”.
As well as a two-year stint on the show as Brando Corbin, Wactor also starred in the 2013 NBC series Siberia and featured in two episodes of HBO’s Westworld.
Thefts of catalytic converters have become a big problem in Los Angeles, with thousands stolen each year. Part of cars’ exhaust systems, they convert chemicals emitted by engine into less harmful ones for the environment.
The large number of hybrid vehicles in Los Angeles are especially tempting for thieves because they do not wear down converters as quickly as cars that only run on gasoline.
Thefts also spiked during the pandemic because the devices contain precious metals that were in short supply then.
