The woman who was with General Hospital star Johnny Wactor when he was tragically murdered Saturday night has recalled his heroic final moments in a heartbreaking series of Instagram posts.
Anita Joy referred to Wactor, 37, as her friend for “eight years” and described how he “fought to stay alive” after being shot at point-blank range as the couple walked to their cars after finishing a waitressing shift. on Level 8 in the city center. The Angels.
As they approached their vehicles, they saw three men attempting to steal the catalytic converter from Wactor’s car around 3 a.m.
‘Everything happened in an instant. “I’ve come to describe it as a glass of water that’s tipped over and you’re struggling to grab it and keep it from spilling completely, but it just slips through your fingers and disappears,” Joy wrote.
‘We cautiously approached the men, asking them what they were doing, thinking at first that they were towing the car. We weren’t a threat and Johnny stayed calm like he always did, simply saying it was his car and to leave. Hands open at his sides in peace.’
Anita Joy, who was with Johnny Wactor when he was murdered, posted this photo of the couple to her Instagram Story on Wednesday night.
Joy has described her anger at Wactor’s death, but is grateful that he did not die alone.
Wactor played Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera from 2020 to 2022. He also appeared in a variety of films and television series.
Wactor played Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera from 2020 to 2022. He also appeared in a variety of films and television series, including ‘Station 19,’ ‘NCIS,’ ‘Westworld,’ and the video game ‘Call of Duty: Vanguard.’ . ‘
‘Johnny was between the man who shot him and me; When I heard the shot ring out in the night, he fell hard into my arms and as I grabbed him, I screamed, “Honey, are you okay?”
And he just responded, “No! Shot!” We fell to the street, where I pushed my legs under him and tried to hold his body up as I screamed for help and yelled at him to stay with me.
Joy went on to say that a bouncer at the bar where they worked ran over and acted, but the damage had already been done.
“It was too short a wound, too extreme for him to survive. But my God, he fought to stay.
Joy added that she finds comfort in the fact that she was with him and that Wactor did not die alone, but added that she remains “heartbroken and very angry.”
“My only other peace will be seeing these horrible men brought to justice.”
In her posts, Joy showed other photos of Wactor with the Level 8 staff, calling him “beautiful, dumb as hell, full of values and work ethic.”
‘Johnny had this incredible ability that was really his genuine nature: to make everyone feel so special in his eyes. No matter how well you knew him, he treated everyone like he really cared about you,’ he continued.
“It was too short a wound, too extreme for him to survive. But my God, he fought to stay,” Joy said of the gunshot wound that killed him.
Johnny Wactor (left) pictured with his family, who are now preparing to take his body to South Carolina, where they will mourn him.
Joy said the actor’s nickname for her was ‘Anita Bonita’.
‘I hope the stamp of his voice saying that every time I saw him never leaves my memory. With just one look into his big blue eyes, followed by a big goofy smile, Johnny made her love him instantly. Without a doubt one of the best men I have ever met.
The waitress asked her employers to provide parking spaces for her night staff for safety reasons.
Earlier this week, Scarlett Wactor, the GH star’s mother, said US Weekly that he had talked to Joy.
‘(She) was very kind to talk to me so I could ask her questions. She felt that the detectives were being very thorough and that made me feel comforted. “I’m glad she wasn’t alone,” the grieving mother added.
Scarlett went on to say that she is seeking justice for her son and does not want his death to become a “cold case.”
There are still no arrests for the murder.
Wactor’s agent, David Shaul, said the actor was “a true moral example to everyone who knew him.”
“Throughout the ups and downs of a challenging profession, he always kept his head held high and strived to be the best he could be,” Shaul said in a statement Sunday.
‘Our time with Johnny was a privilege that we would wish upon everyone. He would literally give you the shirt he’s wearing. After more than a decade together, he will forever leave a hole in our hearts.”
Wactor’s murder comes just weeks after California was ranked among the 10 most dangerous states in the United States.
Violent crime in Los Angeles has been on the rise, with the Los Angeles Police Department recording a 2.9 percent increase as of the end of March 2024, compared to the same period last year.
The LAPD reported Friday that as of late April, the city’s increase in the number of murders in 2024 continued to decline and, as of April 27, was only 4.2 percent above the number of murders reported in this moment in 2023. NBC Los Angeles reported.
The last time police updated burglary statistics, in late March 2024, thefts increased 9.5 percent, according to ABC 7.
About 600,000 catalytic converters are stolen every year. Most cars are equipped with one converter, but those with a dual exhaust system require two. Larger vehicles, such as SUVs and pickup trucks, may have more than two.
According to the New York Times, stolen catalytic converters pass through “middlemen, smelters and refineries in the United States and abroad.” They can be stolen in less than a minute and cost around $1,000 to replace.