2 teens charged with murder in shooting death of 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor; victim's mother reacts



Two teenage suspects have been charged with murder in the shooting death of "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor.

Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, both 18, were each charged with one count of murder Monday.

Los Angeles police reportedly said the suspects have lengthy criminal records and are affiliated with the Florencia 13 gang.

Barceleau also faces a special circumstance of murder during an attempted robbery and personal use of a firearm. He also was hit with one count of attempted robbery with personal use of a firearm and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm. If convicted, Barceleau faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole and is being held without bail.

Estrada also faces one count of attempted robbery with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. Estrada faces life in prison and is being held on $2,070,000 bail.

Two other suspects were charged in connection with the death of the actor.

Leonel Gutierrez, 18, was charged with one count of attempted robbery with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm and one count of grand theft with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm. If he is convicted, Gutierrez faces up to four years and eight months in prison and is being held on $120,000 bail.

Frank Olano, 22, faces charges of accessory after the fact to murder, receiving stolen property, and three counts of being a felon with a firearm. Olano faces five years and eight months, according to prosecutors, and is being held on $1,080,000 bail.

Los Angeles police reportedly said the suspects have lengthy criminal records and are affiliated with the Florencia 13 gang.

The actor's mother, Scarlett Wactor, said of the suspects, "They're breathing air that my son doesn't get to any more. I prayed that they were not juveniles so that they could be tried as adults."

As Blaze News previously reported, Wactor was leaving his bartending shift at the Moxy Hotel in downtown Los Angeles around 3:25 a.m. May 25 when he confronted three males trying to steal the catalytic converter from his parked car. Police said one of the suspects fired at the actor, and the 37-year-old entertainer died at an area hospital.

Wactor was best known for playing Brando Corbin on "General Hospital" for 164 episodes. Wactor had 51 acting credits to his name, including "Westworld," The OA," "NCIS," "Criminal Minds," and "Disillusioned."

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón stated, "Johnny Wactor’s life was senselessly taken while he was simply walking to his parked car in downtown Los Angeles. We are committed to seeking justice for Mr. Wactor and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions."

"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," he continued. "Mr. Wactor’s work and presence touched the lives of many, and our hearts go out to his family, friends, and the entire community who mourn this devastating loss."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass added, "I want to thank the LAPD for their work and partnership throughout the investigation and for their continued efforts to keep Angelenos safe and to bring justice to victims of violence. We must continue to take aggressive action to make our city safer. Those who commit crimes must be held fully responsible for their actions."

LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said he is "confident that we have the right people on the right charges."

Choi said, "To the family and loved ones of Johnny Wactor: 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."

The LAPD’s Central Bureau Homicide Division is still investigating the case.

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Actress Sonya Eddy, known for playing a nurse in 'General Hospital,' dead at 55



Sonya Eddy, the actress known for her role as nurse Epiphany Johnson in "General Hospital," is dead at the age of 55 years old.

"My friend @sonyaeddy passed away last night. The world lost another creative angel. Her legions of @generalhospitalabc fans will miss her," actress Octavia Spencer wrote in an Instagram post. "My thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones, friends, and fans!"

"I am heartbroken about the loss of the incredible @TheRealSonyaEd," tweeted "General Hospital" executive producer Frank Valentini. "I truly loved her not only as actress, but as a friend. The lights in the hub of the nurse’s station will now be a little dimmer, but her spirit and light will live on in both the show and our set." In another tweet, Valentini added, "On behalf of the entire #GH cast and crew, we send our deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and fans. She will be very missed."

\u201cI am heartbroken about the loss of the incredible @TheRealSonyaEd. I truly loved her not only as actress, but as a friend. The lights in the hub of the nurse\u2019s station will now be a little dimmer, but her spirit and light will live on in both the show and our set.\u201d
— Frank Valentini (@Frank Valentini) 1671565677

Eddy had appeared in more than 500 episodes of the long-running soap opera, according to IMDb. Over her career, she had appeared on one episode each of shows such as "Desperate Housewives," "Glee," "2 Broke Girls," "Mike & Molly," "House," "Home Improvement," "Touched by an Angel," "Reba," and "Monk," according to IMDb, which also indicates that she was on two episodes of "Seinfeld." The IMDb page also indicates that she appeared in films such as "Daddy Day Care," "Inspector Gadget," and "Barbershop."

"R.I.P. Sonya u will be so missed," tweeted Kin Shriner, who plays the character Scotty Baldwin on the soap opera. "What a sense of humor she had . So sad . @GeneralHospital will never be the same," he noted.

\u201cR.I.P. Sonya u will be so missed . What a sense of humor she had . So sad . @GeneralHospital will never be the same .\u201d
— Kin Shriner (@Kin Shriner) 1671565159

Longtime 'General Hospital' actor sues ABC after getting canned for declining COVID-19 vaccination



Ingo Rademacher, an actor who was cut from the television show "General Hospital" for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, has lodged a lawsuit against ABC.

The lawsuit says that Rademacher's religious exemption request was denied,and his contract to perform on the soap opera was terminated.

"Questioning the sincerity of one's religious beliefs in order to deny a request for an exemption to the Covid Vaccine Mandate constitutes religious discrimination and violates federal and state civil rights laws," the suit declares.

“I am entitled to a religious exemption against mandatory vaccination for Covid-19 on the basis of my deeply and sincerely held moral belief that my body is endowed by my creator with natural processes to protect me and that its natural integrity cannot ethically be violated by the administration of artificially created copies of genetic material, foreign to nature and experimental,” Rademacher wrote in October when requesting a religious exemption, according to a copy of the email included in the filing.

Steve Burton, another actor who previously worked on "General Hospital," also got kicked off of the show due to the vaccine mandate.

In an Instagram video about the news last month, Burton noted that he had applied for medical and religious exemptions which were denied.

COVID-19 vaccine mandates have proven to be highly controversial, as many people who prefer to forego vaccination face the threat of losing their job if they decline to get vaccinated.