Johnny Wactor’s Family Calls Out Charges Brought In His Case

Johnny Wactor’s future was stolen from him — a fact his mother wants the law to remember while sentencing those responsible for the heinous crime.

The “General Hospital” star’s mother, Scarlett Wactor, recently lamented the possible short sentence that could be given to one of the suspects involved in her son’s death. She claimed the culprit was trying to escape accountability with his guilty plea.

Four suspects — two of whom are facing murder charges — were arrested in August for Johnny Wactor’s death. The actor was brutally gunned down in the parking lot of the restaurant he worked at.

Scarlett did not mince her words while calling out the possible 5-year sentence one of the suspects in her son’s murder case could get. She believed the punishment was minor regardless of the role 18-year-old Leonel Gutierrez played in Johnny’s death.

Gutierrez pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and grand theft charges, a move Scarlett deemed unremorseful and a way to escape additional charges in the ongoing murder case. She bashed the law for charging him with whatever was available for his alleged participation.

The biggest problem for Scarlett was knowing that Gutierrez could have the future he robbed her son of without paying adequate consequences. She speculated the 18-year-old would serve 1-2 years instead of 5 because of prison overcrowding.

If he ended up serving a shorter sentence, the heartbroken mother told TMZ that Gutierrez could live a full life. However, she believed without proper punishment, he would return to his criminal ways like he did in Johnny’s case.

Scarlett pointed out that Gutierrez did not deserve leniency, given that his alleged participation in her son’s death occurred during his probation period. She planned to remind the court why he needed a harsher sentence at his hearing.

The late actor’s mom declared she would attend his sentencing to deliver a victim impact statement, stressing what he and his alleged accomplices had taken from the Wactor family. However, Scarlett’s fight for justice doesn’t end there.

The grieving mother revealed her plans to get the “Johnny’s Law” passed in California, which would deliver harsher penalties for probation violations and felony murder charges. It included anyone involved in a deadly crime, be it the trigger-puller or an accomplice.

While Gutierrez pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and grand theft charges, the remaining suspects in the case took a different stand. They plead not guilty, including the two facing murder charges, and are scheduled for a trial next month.

The Blast reported that the four suspects in the murder case were arrested in August. The list included three 18-year-olds — Robert Barceleau, Leonel Gutierrez, and Sergio Estrada — and a 22-year-old man named Frank Olano.

The LAPD’s central homicide bureau executed search warrants across Los Angeles, uncovering key evidence that led to the suspects’ capture. All four suspects received a hefty $2 million bail each, while the 18-year-olds would be tried as adults.

Johnny’s pal and co-worker, Anita Joy, revealed she experienced mixed feelings following the suspects’ arrest. She confessed to being joyful and relieved, noting that the high bail for each culprit brought a sense of hope.

However, Joy echoed similar sentiments to the late actor’s mother, stressing that true justice would only be achieved with severe punishment for those involved in Johnny’s death. Addressing the emotional toll caused by suspects’ actions, she said:

“We’ve had this like stagnant grief, where we haven’t been able to really heal or fully understand what just happened to us.”

The suspects were not the only ones Joy wished would be held accountable for Johnny’s death. She also blamed Level 8, the downtown Los Angeles restaurant where the incident occurred, for the tragedy.

Joy claimed Level 8’s lack of adequate employee parking created a dangerous environment that ultimately cost her pal’s life. She stressed that other employees, including herself, had repeatedly complained about the problem.

However, the restaurant’s management allegedly ignored their cries about the parking lot and took their indifference a step further after Johnny’s death. Joy noted that not a single Level 8 rep had contacted her or Scarlett following the tragic shooting.

Johnny Wactor was fatally shot in the restaurant’s parking lot after confronting a group attempting to steal his car’s catalytic converter. He died at 37 on May 25, 2024.