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As details emerge in the slaying of “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor, the woman with him on the night he was fatally shot is speaking out and hoping for justice.
The tragedy unfolded on May 25 at around 3:15 a.m. as Anita Joy, a friend and coworker of the 37-year-old actor at Level 8 Restaurant & Lounge in downtown Los Angeles, was walking with Wactor to their cars at the end of their shift.
As the pair neared the corner of Pico Boulevard and Hope Street, they saw something odd.
“We noticed his car was at an angle,” she told KTLA’s Omar Lewis. “So, he was like, ‘Oh, I’m getting towed,’ and we look around and this guy stands up by his right tire, his front tire, with a big jack already lifting up the car.”
Joy added that there were two other men inside his car. The three suspects were in the process of stealing Wactor’s catalytic converter.
“Both of us were like, ‘Hey, what you’re doing, man? This is his car,’ but Johnny was not aggressive or confrontational,” she explained.
That’s when she said Wactor stepped in front of her and a gunman immediately fired a deadly shot that hit him in the chest.
“I grab him, and I go, ‘Johnny, honey, are you okay?” and he goes, ‘Nope, shot.’ He just says those two words,” Joy said. “Once I saw his chest, I just started screaming for help.”
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Actor Johnny Wactor, 37, seen in this undated image. (viewer photo) -
Johnny Wactor, who appeared in more than 160 episodes of “General Hospital,” was shot and killed in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, May 25, 2024, according to TMZ. (Getty) -
This image released by ABC shows Johnny Wactor in character as Brando Corbin from the daytime series “General Hospital.” Wactor was shot and killed Saturday when he interrupted thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car in Los Angeles. He was 37. (Scott Kirkland/ABC via AP) -
L.A. police on the scene of the fatal shooting of Johnny Wactor on May 25, 2024. (OnScene TV) -
L.A. police on the scene of the fatal shooting of Johnny Wactor on May 25, 2024. (OnScene TV) -
First responders on the scene of the fatal shooting of Johnny Wactor on May 25, 2024. (OnScene TV)
Coworkers heard her screams and ran over to help, while his killers, all wearing dark clothing with ski masks and driving a dark-colored sedan, fled northbound on Hope Street.
Joy, who had known Wactor for eight years, said he died in her arms.
As she mourns the loss of her friend, she’s also seeking justice.
“Catching [the suspects] is the first thing,” Joy said. “That’s the priority and then the conviction is what everyone is concerned about because this has happened before and people get a slap on the wrist and thrown back onto the streets.
Joy has since quit her job at Level 8, located in the 1200 block of Hope Street. While she’s not blaming her former employer for what happened, she’s hoping they will start providing safe parking for their employees.
Several friends of the 37-year-old have planned a call to action on Friday where they plan to reach out to L.A. City Councilman Kevin de León to demand justice in this case.
A GoFundMe page created to help Wactor’s family wit the expense of travel and investigation into finding his killers can be found here.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Detectives Gonzales or Martinez at 213-996-4142. Those who wish to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Wactor appeared as Brando Corbin in 164 episodes of the popular soap opera, “General Hospital” between 2020 and 2022. He also appeared in other shows such as “Westworld” and “Criminal Minds.”
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