Three suspects arrested in conjunction with the murder of soap actor Johnny Wactor pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Robert Isaiah Barceleau, 18, was charged with murder and the special-circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of an attempted robbery, according to Fox 11 in Los Angeles. Sergio Estrada, 18, was also charged with murder, but is not charged with the special-circumstance allegation, and was charged with attempted robbery, grand theft, and additional gun charges.
Frank Olano, 22, was the third suspect who pleaded not guilty to being an accessory to murder after the fact. He was charged with receiving stolen property and three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Meanwhile, Leonel Gutierrez, 18, is charged with attempted robbery and grand theft by embezzlement. Both of those charges include gun allegations. His attorney said Gutierrez will plead guilty on September 11.
Wactor, 37, was leaving his job as a bartender over Memorial Day weekend when he came upon some individuals standing near his car. The actor first thought the vehicle was being towed before figuring out that the suspects were attempting to steal his catalytic converter, according to his friend who witnessed the crime. When Wactor tried to intervene, he was shot and later died from his injuries.
Wactor’s best friend Micah Parker spoke to The Daily Wire earlier this month about his feelings on Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s policies and how he believes they contributed to the tragedy, calling the whole thing “infuriating.”
“This has become a very pro-criminal city, straight up.” Parker said during the interview. “Everything has to be ‘oh, well, what’s the background, what’s their life like?’ But no, it should be, ‘you break the law, you pay the price,’ and with George Gascón’s policies, it’s very much gotten away from that.”
Inmate records show that Barceleau, Gutierrez, and Olano all have previous arrests and that Olano has a previous conviction. Parker pointed out that if they had stayed in jail instead of being released on bond, then the whole thing never would have happened.
During a press conference, Gascón said “this cowardly act led to the loss of a son, a brother and a friend to many.”
“The loss of this talented young actor who was in the prime of his life and had so much to offer to the world is deeply felt by all of us,” he said, adding that the charges are a “small consolation for Mr. Wactor’s friends and family.”
The three suspects were arraigned before judge Susan De Witt in downtown Los Angeles Superior Court and given a preliminary hearing date of October 16.
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