The simple mistake teenage LA 'gangsters' made that saw them charged with murder of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor

Teenage Los Angeles gang members charged with murdering General Hospital star Johnny Wactor incriminated themselves in the horror attack through recorded jailhouse conversations, law enforcement sources have said.

Robert Barceleau, 18, and Sergio Estrada, 18, members of the  Florencia 13 gang, were both charged with murder, among other alleged crimes, in connection to Wactor's death. 

Wactor, 37, was gunned down by thieves attempting to steal the catalytic converter on his vehicle in Downtown Los Angeles on May 25 as he left his bartending job at the Moxy Hotel. 

Two other men, Leonel Gutierrez, 18, and Frank Olano, 22, were charged with lesser crimes in connection to the beloved actor's 'senseless' death. 

'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,' Los Angeles County District Attorney Georg Gascón announced Monday. 

'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. ' 

At the time of the brazen attack, Wactor, who thought he was being towed, confronted a group of men who had jacked up his car after finishing a late night bartending shift nearby with co-worker and long-time friend Anita Joy. 

Joy, who witnessed the horror shooting, said Wactor asked the men to leave and held up his hands to show he was not a threat before being shot at close range in the chest.

According to Gascón, Barceleau was the one who allegedly shot the TV soap actor. Wactor was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, Gascón said. 

Barceleau, Gutierrez and Estrada were arrested and booked on suspicion of murder on Thursday, nearly three months since the slaying. Olana was also arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to murder. 

Barceleau, also known as 'Smallz', has been identified as a member of Florencia 13- a South Los Angeles street gang- according to a search warrant. 

Barceleau, Estrada and Gutierrez's fingerprints were a match from the floor jack left at Wactor's car, the search warrant detailed. 

Authorities said that both Gutierrez, or 'Tripps', and Estrafa, known as 'Prieto', are also members of the gang, LA Times reported. 

Witness descriptions pinned Gutierrez as a suspect in the slaying after describing a visible 'F' tattoo on his face, which stands for Florencia, police said. 

Barceleau, of Huntington Park, was charged with murder, including a special circumstance allegation of killing in the commission of robbery, attempted robbery and grand theft, both while armed with a firearm. 

If convicted, the accused shooter faces life in prison without possibility of parole.  

Estrada was charged with one count of murder with an allegation of principal armed with a firearm, 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.

Gutierrez was charged with attempted robbery and grand theft with allegations of a principal armed with a firearm while Olano was charged with accessory to murder. 

'While this was not an easy case for anyone involved, I am confident that we have the right people on the right charges,' LAPD Chief Dominic 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,' he added. 

Outside the courthouse on Monday, fellow actor Micah Parker and the organizer of 'Justice for Johnny Wactor,'  said that anyone involved in Wacker's death should never be able to walk free. 

'I don’t think it is right that these suspects, whoever killed Johnny, ever gets freedom ever again,' Parker said. 

Wactor died a hero - with his relatives previously telling DailyMail.com he had positioned himself to shield Joy from the gunfire.

Joy said after the shooting she asked if he was okay.

He could only respond, 'Nope! Shot!'

Joy took to social media to share his courageous final moments, describing how her friend of eight years 'fought to stay alive' before dying. 

'Everything happened in an instant,' she wrote of the attack.

'I've come to describe it as a glass of water that gets tipped over and you're scrambling to grab it and save it from spilling out completely but it just runs through your fingertips and is gone.'

She said she finds solace in the fact that she was with him and that Wactor did not die alone but added that she remains 'heartbroken and so very angry.'

'My only other peace will be seeing these awful men brought to justice.'

Wactor portrayed Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera 'General Hospital'  in 164 episodes from 2020 to 2022.

He also appeared in a variety of films and TV series, including 'Station 19,' 'NCIS,' 'Westworld' and the video game 'Call of Duty: Vanguard.'

Violent crime in Los Angeles has been on the rise, with the LAPD recording a 2.9 per cent increase at the end of March 2024, compared to the same time last year. 

Around 600,000 catalytic converters are stolen each year.

Most cars are equipped with one converter but those with a dual exhaust system require two. Larger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks may have more than two.

According to the New York Times, stolen catalytic converters are passed through 'middlemen, smelters and refineries in the United States and overseas.'

They can be stolen in under a minute and cost around $1,000 to replace.