Actor Johnny Wactor, known for his work on the daytime drama “General Hospital,” was shot to death while interrupting a crime in Los Angeles, according to police and family.
Wactor’s death in the incident was confirmed by his mother, Scarlett Wactor. He was 37 years old.
His agent, David Shaul, said in a statement to Variety that the actor was a dedicated worker and an exemplary person.
“Through the ups and downs of a challenging profession, he always kept his head up and strived to do his best,” said Shaul. “After more than a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever.”
The Los Angeles Police Department has not confirmed the identity of the deceased but has offered a narrative of the incident.
Around 3:25 a.m. Sunday, the victim found three people removing a catalytic converter from a vehicle near Pico Boulevard and Hope Street in the southwest corner of downtown Los Angeles, the LAPD said.
One of the three opened fire, hitting the victim, who was pronounced dead, police said. No arrests were made.
The crime took place a short walk from the Crypto Arena, where the Lakers play their home games.
Wactor was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He made his television debut on Lifetime’s “West Wives” and eventually appeared in 164 episodes of “General Hospital,” in which he played Bonnie Borroughs’ Gladys Corbin’s son, Brando , according to IMDB.
He also appeared on the television show “Westworld” and as a voice in the video game “Call of Duty: Vanguard,” according to the database.
Catalytic converter thieves are targeting the parts that stop pollution from their valuable precious and industrial metals – platinum, palladium and rhodium – whose prices have skyrocketed in the years before and during the pandemic.
Thefts nationwide peaked in 2022, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. A wave of state legislation, from California to Rhode Island, has attempted to make it harder to buy and sell stolen catalytic converters and the metals they contain.
Lindsay Good It is Colin Sheeley contributed.
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