Johnny Wactor's mom speaks about son's murder, progress on case

Mother of Johnny Wactor speaks out

Scarlett Wactor, the mother of actor Johnny Wactor who was killed by catalytic converter thieves in downtown LA, spoke to FOX 11 about the latest in the investigation.

LOS ANGELES - Relatives and friends of the late "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor gathered outside Los Angeles City Hall Tuesday to again call for people to come forward with information about his death, and to press for tougher action against crime in the city.

Wactor, 37, was shot around 3:30 a.m. May 25 while walking with a co-worker toward his parked car near Hope Street and Pico Boulevard after finishing his bartending shift at the nearby Level 8 bar/restaurant.

Police said they encountered a crew of people trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car. The suspects had Wactor's vehicle raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter, police said, adding that Wactor was shot by one of the individuals without provocation.

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His mother, Scarlett Wactor, clarified that he didn't confront or physically stop the thieves, like previous reports indicated.

She said her son was unable to see what the suspects were doing due to a streetlight which had been burned out for weeks.

Nearly three months after the crime, no arrests have been made, but she said police are getting close.

"They definitely have a pretty good photo that they're not releasing, but that they've seen this and so this tells me that they're going in the right direction, that somebody knows something. And we need help from the community to get them arrested and put away and convicted," Scarlett Wactor told FOX 11.

Last week, the Los Angeles Police Department released surveillance photos of the suspects believed to have killed Wactor, along with images of an allegedly stolen vehicle the suspects are believed to have escaped in.

Police said the three suspects drove away from the scene in a stolen 2018 black, four-door Infiniti Q50 with tan-colored interior. The suspects, all wearing dark clothing, drove away from the scene northbound on Hope Street. One of the suspects had a tattoo above the left eye and on the right cheek, police said.

First pics released of Johnny Wactor murder suspects

In a community alert, the LAPD also released a picture of an allegedly stolen vehicle the suspects are believed to have escaped in.

Wactor said city officials need to do more work to protect community members.

"Definitely hire more police. You need more presence, you need more cameras, you don't need burnt out streetlights. People that work there after midnight, the businesses should be made to provide protected and guarded parking. Definitely change that catalytic converter law. There are things out there that can be done. You need to lower the felony threshold and stop dumbing down the laws," she explained.

She remembers her son as a good, compassionate person who helped everyone and loved life.

"He had a very big zest for life. And to me, I believe he still had a very big future. And they stole it from him and stole him from us," she added.

Anyone with information about the suspects is urged to call the LAPD's Central Station at 213-486-6606. During business hours, LAPD homicide detectives can be reached at 213-996-4143 or 213-996-4173. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800- 222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

City News Service contributed to this report

Downtown LA Crime and Public Safety