Los Angeles prosecutors announced on Monday that they will not pursue the death penalty against 18‑year‑old Robert Isaiah Barceleau, who is charged with murdering actor Johnny Wactor during a catalytic‑converter theft on May 25, 2024.\n\n## Background of the Incident\n\nJohnny Wactor, 37, was leaving work at a bar with a co‑worker at about 3:30 a.m. on May 25 when he encountered a group of men stealing the catalytic converter from his black 2013 Toyota Prius. One of the men shot Wactor without provocation as he approached, according to police. Catalytic converters are rich in precious metals that can be resold.\n\n## Charges and Co‑defendant\n\nBarceleau was charged with murder and the special‑circumstance allegation of murder in August following the actor’s death. His co‑defendant, 19‑year‑old Sergio Estrada, faces the same counts but is not charged with the special‑circumstance or personal discharge of a firearm. The two were scheduled to return to a downtown LA courtroom on Jan. 14 for a pretrial hearing.\n\n## Evidence from Jailhouse Stings\n\nDuring a January hearing, LAPD Detective Justin Howarth testified that Barceleau told an undercover jailhouse operative after his August 2024 arrest that he had \”shot Wactor once.\” Barceleau explained that he fired because Wactor was \”going after the homie,\” referring to an alleged accomplice. In a separate sting, Estrada told an undercover operative that he yelled \”No\” when he saw Barceleau pull out a gun. Howarth also described Barceleau as \”hot‑headed\” and said Estrada did not want to go with him that night. Estrada claimed Wactor had \”rushed\” him and that a female witness wearing a mask could not identify him.\n\nBoth men were photographed about five hours after the killing, with Barceleau holding a semi‑automatic weapon and Estrada holding a stack of cash.\n\n## Forensic Findings\n\nA LAPD forensic print specialist matched fingerprints found on a floor jack used in the catalytic‑converter theft to Barceleau, Estrada, and Leonel Gutierrez. Another specialist, under cross‑examination, stated that the time the prints were left could not be determined and that prints could remain on an item for a year. Detective Keith Gonzales testified that the floor jack was located next to the driver’s side door of Wactor’s Prius near Hope Street and Pico Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles.\n\n## Sentences for Lesser‑Charge Defendants\n\nIn January, two men charged with lesser crimes connected to the killing were sentenced to state prison. Frank Olano, 23, received the maximum term of five years and eight months after a no‑contest plea to accessory after the fact, receiving stolen property, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Leonel Gutierrez, 19, was sentenced to four years—eight months less than the maximum—for a guilty plea to attempted robbery and grand theft.\n\n## DA’s Decision on the Death Penalty\n\nThe Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that, after careful consideration of all relevant factors, it decided not to seek the death penalty for Barceleau. In a statement to NBC Los Angeles, the office said: \”(After) speaking with family members and prosecutors in the case, the District Attorney has decided not to seek the death penalty against defendant Robert Isaiah Barceleau in the 2024 shooting death of Johnny Wactor,\” and added that Barceleau, who pleaded not guilty, could still face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n- Barceleau, 18, will not face the death penalty in the 2024 murder of actor Johnny Wactor.\n- Co‑defendant Sergio Estrada faces the same murder charges but not the special‑circumstance allegation.\n- Forensic evidence linked Barceleau, Estrada, and Gutierrez to the catalytic‑converter theft.\n\nThe case underscores the complexity of prosecutorial decisions in capital‑crime cases and the weight of forensic and testimonial evidence in shaping those outcomes.\n
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