The ex-fiancée of General Hospital star Johnny Wactor broke down in tears in a video begging for help tracking down his killers, after he was shot dead during a botched robbery in Los Angeles.
In a video posted to Instagram and TikTok, Hollywood actor Tessa Farrell sobs as she says the suspects “shot the wrong guy” and hits out at crime rates in California.
“If the person who did this, if you’re watching, I’m sorry, but you shot the wrong guy,” she says through tears.
“You can get a real job. I know the job market’s hard but we’re all in it together. You don’t have to steal, especially take a life over it.”
She goes on to say that “human life is disregarded too easy”, saying it is time we “make changes as a community” and “support each other”.
“Maybe that’s what Johnny’s gift is for us, maybe he’s gifting that to all of us,” she says.
Farrell, who met the 37-year-old actor in 2013, is appealing to fans for help to “find these killers.”
“These criminals can’t keep being on the street and they can’t keep being sent back and have no repercussions for their actions,” she says.
“It’s not ok, this can’t keep happening. So many lives are being lost, just us not being smart - we have to be smarter as a community.”
In the video, she also calls for tougher laws to tackle crime in Los Angeles.
“Do you want better laws to reduce the escalating crime and theft rates in California?” she wrote in the Instagram post caption.
“If you’d like to help raise awareness for stricter crime and theft laws in California, please use hashtag #justiceforjohnny.”
The LAPD recorded a 2.9 per cent increase in violent crime at the end of March 2024, compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, thefts were up by 9.5 per cent.
Wactor was shot and killed at around 3am on Saturday while protecting a female co-worker during a suspected robbery in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles police department said that three men were trying to steal the catalytic converter from a vehicle.
The 37-year-old actor was walking his colleague to her car after their shift at a rooftop bar when they came across the thieves, his brother Grant told The Daily Mail .
Grant said that his brother believed the suspects were just towing his truck.
“So he said something to the guys, like, ‘Hey, are you towing?” he said.
“And then once he turned around, he saw what was happening and he put his coworker behind him. And that’s when they shot him.”
The suspects fled in a vehicle.
No arrests have yet been made, no suspects have been named and the investigation is ongoing.
In a previous interview, Ms Farrell described Wactor as “brave” for how he responded during the suspected robbery.
“He, I guess, was seeing them doing it in the act and was standing up for what he believed was right and, you know, protecting his vehicle and his car and was being brave,” she said. “You never anticipate someone would kill someone for that.”
Wactor was known for playing Brando Corbin on the long-running soap opera General Hospital, appearing in 164 episodes from 2020 to 2022.
In a statement issued on Sunday on social media, General Hospital paid tribute: “The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely passing He was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Several of his General Hospital co-stars including Parry Shen and Jon Lindstrom also posted messages on X.
“Johnny Wactor was a beautiful, beautiful soul. So talented. As you can see from the promo clip, always up for anything. Funny as all heck,” wrote Shen.
Lindstrom wrote: “When the tears slow down, I am literally sick to my stomach at this news. Johnny was one of those rare young men in this business who was kind, unassuming, humble, and always thought about other people. A talented young guy who just wanted to share that talent with the world.”
