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(LOS ANGELES) — Search warrants were being executed Thursday by the Los Angeles Police Department in connection with the murder of “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Some suspects may be detained, the sources said.

Wactor was shot “without provocation” around 3:25 a.m. on May 25, after he ended his shift at a bar and walked to his car, according to police.

He was confronted by three people who had his car “raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter,” police said in a statement.

In a press conference Tuesday, Wactor’s mother, Scarlett Wactor, urged Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and District Attorney George Gascón to strengthen the criminal justice system.

“It needs to start with LA. People watch you from across the country. And this is where change needs to start,” Scarlett Wactor said.

Scarlett Wactor told reporters what the loss of her son has meant to her.

“I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but grief is my constant companion,” she said.

Earlier in August, police released new images of the three suspects accused of killing Wactor and the car they fled in.

Police asked for public assistance in identifying the three suspects.

The suspect accused of shooting Wactor has a tattoo above the left eye and on the right cheek, according to police.

The three individuals fled the scene in a black Infiniti Q50 Sedan, which police said was stolen.

In an emotional press conference in June, Wactor’s family and friends pushed for arrests to be made in the case.

“I’m here because one of the best men — if not the best man — I’ve ever known, was tragically and brutally taken from this earth,” Wactor’s friend, Micah Parker, said at the news conference. “He was taken from his mother, his brothers, his extended family, his friends and his fans.”‘

Just before he was shot, Wactor had been with a female co-worker, and he immediately stepped in front of her to try to protect her, according to his family and friends.

“They had a mask on and they pulled out a gun,” Wactor’s friend, Colin Flynn, told ABC News. “And from what I understand, Johnny literally stood in between himself and his colleague. And the shooter just pulled the trigger and ran away.”

In a message to the culprits, Parker vowed, “We are going to find you.”

“You do not get to terrorize our streets, stealing and killing with impunity anymore,” Parker said.

“To the LAPD, who are out there risking their lives every day, who are here with us today, I first want to say thank you,” Parker said. “But I also implore you to please — not rest, do not relent, until these three killers are brought to justice.”

Wactor played a recurring character in “General Hospital” from 2020 to 2022. He also appeared in other TV series, including “Criminal Minds,” “Siberia” and “Westworld.” He was called “one of a kind” in a statement on the official Instagram account for “General Hospital.”

“The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely passing,” the statement read. “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.”

Wactor’s manager said in a statement to ABC News at the time that he was “still processing this unfortunate and senseless tragedy.”

“Johnny Wactor was such a kind soul, a talented actor and an inspiration to those around him. His professionalism, his enthusiasm and love for his craft was infectious and made him such a joy to work with. He pursued his dreams and achieved them, all the while remaining a good human being caring for others,” he said. “I am proud to say I was Johnny’s manager and friend. He will always be cherished in my memory.”

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that search warrants are being executed and some suspects may be detained. It initially said arrests were taking place in the case.

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(ORLANDO, Fla.) — A Jordanian citizen living in Florida has been arrested and charged for allegedly carrying out multiple attacks on businesses in Orlando, as well as a solar energy facility, based on their perceived support for Israel, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, allegedly made numerous threats to carry out mass violence and at one point went through with an attack in late June on a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, where he spent hours destroying solar panels.

The attack “bore signs of premeditation and sophistication,” according to prosecutors, adding: “For example, whenever Hnaihen cut a wire, he would cut so close to the panel that it was impossible to splice in a new wire, permanently decommissioning the entire panel. And as Hnaihen worked across row after row, he identified and selectively destroyed the lead panel in a daisy-chained series of panels, taking the entire chain offline.”

The attacks on the solar panels are estimated to have caused more than $700,000 in damages, prosecutors said.

Hnaihen began targeting various businesses in the Orlando area in June, prosecutors said, wearing a mask and placing “Warning Letters” after smashing doors and windows at businesses. The letters were addressed to the U.S. government and included a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”

Hnaihen was identified and arrested on July 11 after placing another warning letter at an industrial propane gas depot in Orlando.

Further heightening concerns, prosecutors said Hnaihen attempted to purchase a gun and ammunition in February and lied on paperwork stating he was not a foreign citizen — which the government says “fortunately” was discovered to be false during the background check process so he never obtained the gun.

Hnaihen entered a not guilty plea to the charges during an arraignment hearing on Monday, court records show. At a detention hearing on Wednesday and is being held pending trial, according to the Justice Department.

He faces four counts of threats to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.

“We allege that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Such acts and threats of violence, whether they are targeting the places that Americans frequent every day or our country’s critical infrastructure, are extremely dangerous and will not be tolerated by the Justice Department.”

ABC News has reached out to the attorney representing Hnaihen for comment.

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(PHOENIX) — Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has requested the Arizona “fake elector” case against him be moved from Maricopa County into federal court, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

The request comes weeks after Meadows asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in his similar effort to move the Fulton County, Georgia, election case against him into federal court.

In Wednesday’s filing, Meadows’ attorneys said their client’s request is “based on recent new Supreme Court authority clarifying the scope of immunity,” citing the court’s recent presidential immunity ruling.

Meadows’ attorneys argued that the case should also be moved from state court because the indictment “squarely relates to Mr. Meadows’s conduct as Chief of Staff to the President.”

The argument is similar to the one Meadows has made for months in his Fulton County case, citing a law that calls for the removal of criminal proceedings when someone is charged for actions they allegedly took as a federal official.

“It is unmistakably clear that the indictment charges Mr. Meadows with alleged state crimes based on acts he took as Chief of Staff to the President of the United States and in the course of his duties in the position,” Meadows’ attorneys said in the filing.

In response to the request, a judge has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for Sept. 5.

Meadows was charged in Arizona, along with 17 others, for fraud, forgery and conspiracy over alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state. He has pleaded not guilty.

Last week, charges were dropped against former President Donald Trump’s former campaign attorney Jenna Ellis in exchange for her cooperation in the case.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LOS ANGELES) — An operation is underway Thursday by the Los Angeles Police Department to make arrests in the murder of “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Wactor was shot “without provocation” around 3:25 a.m. on May 25, after he ended his shift at a bar and walked to his car, according to police.

He was confronted by three people who had his car “raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter,” police said in a statement.

In a press conference Tuesday, Wactor’s mother, Scarlett Wactor, urged Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and District Attorney George Gascón to strengthen the criminal justice system.

“It needs to start with LA. People watch you from across the country. And this is where change needs to start,” Scarlett Wactor said.

Scarlett Wactor told reporters what the loss of her son has meant to her.

“I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but grief is my constant companion,” she said.

Earlier in August, police released new images of the three suspects accused of killing Wactor and the car they fled in.

Police asked for public assistance in identifying the three suspects.

The suspect accused of shooting Wactor has a tattoo above the left eye and on the right cheek, according to police.

The three individuals fled the scene in a black Infiniti Q50 Sedan, which police said was stolen.

In an emotional press conference in June, Wactor’s family and friends pushed for arrests to be made in the case.

“I’m here because one of the best men — if not the best man — I’ve ever known, was tragically and brutally taken from this earth,” Wactor’s friend, Micah Parker, said at the news conference. “He was taken from his mother, his brothers, his extended family, his friends and his fans.”‘

Just before he was shot, Wactor had been with a female co-worker, and he immediately stepped in front of her to try to protect her, according to his family and friends.

“They had a mask on and they pulled out a gun,” Wactor’s friend, Colin Flynn, told ABC News. “And from what I understand, Johnny literally stood in between himself and his colleague. And the shooter just pulled the trigger and ran away.”

In a message to the culprits, Parker vowed, “We are going to find you.”

“You do not get to terrorize our streets, stealing and killing with impunity anymore,” Parker said.

“To the LAPD, who are out there risking their lives every day, who are here with us today, I first want to say thank you,” Parker said. “But I also implore you to please — not rest, do not relent, until these three killers are brought to justice.”

Wactor played a recurring character in “General Hospital” from 2020 to 2022. He also appeared in other TV series, including “Criminal Minds,” “Siberia” and “Westworld.” He was called “one of a kind” in a statement on the official Instagram account for “General Hospital.”

“The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely passing,” the statement read. “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.”

Wactor’s manager said in a statement to ABC News at the time that he was “still processing this unfortunate and senseless tragedy.”

“Johnny Wactor was such a kind soul, a talented actor and an inspiration to those around him. His professionalism, his enthusiasm and love for his craft was infectious and made him such a joy to work with. He pursued his dreams and achieved them, all the while remaining a good human being caring for others,” he said. “I am proud to say I was Johnny’s manager and friend. He will always be cherished in my memory.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LOS ANGELES) — Five people have been charged in connection with the ketamine death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry, federal officials in Los Angeles announced Thursday.

Three of the defendants, including a doctor, have already pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in connection with this death, while two others — including a second doctor and a woman known as “The Ketamine Queen” who is accused of selling Perry the batch of ketamine that killed him, were arrested on Thursday, according to the Department of Justice.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said investigators conducted a wide-ranging investigation following Perry’s death in October 2023 that “revealed a broad, underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Mr. Perry and others.”

The lead defendants in the case are Jasveen Sangha, allegedly known as “The Ketamine Queen,” and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a licensed medical doctor known as “Dr. P,” who are expected to be arraigned later Thursday, the DOJ said.

The three others separately charged in the case include Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa; Dr. Mark Chavez, a licensed medical doctor; and Eric Fleming, who admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, the DOJ said.

“These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves,” Estrada said during a press briefing on Thursday. “They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyway.”

Estrada said that in the fall of 2023, Perry, who has struggled with addiction in the past, “fell back into addiction, and these defendants took advantage to profit for themselves.”

Plasencia is accused of distributing approximately 20 viles of ketamine to Perry in exchange for $55,000 in cash, Estrada said. Plasencia allegedly worked with Chavez to obtain ketamine and with Iwamasa to distribute that ketamine to Perry.

“Plasencia saw this as an opportunity to profit off of Mr. Perry,” Estrada said, noting that the doctor allegedly wrote in text messages, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” and that he wanted to be the actor’s “go-to for drugs.”

As a doctor, Plasencia “knew the danger of what he was doing” and allegedly told another patient that Perry was “spiraling out of control with his addiction,” Estrada said.

“Nevertheless, he continued to offer ketamine to Mr. Perry,” Estrada said.

The other lead defendant, Sangha, is accused of selling 50 vials of ketamine for approximately $11,000 in cash over two weeks to Perry, working with Fleming and Iwamasa to distribute the drugs to Perry, according to Estrada. She is accused of selling Perry the batch of ketamine that killed him.

Perry died on Oct. 28, 2023, at the age of 54. He was discovered unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home, police said. An autopsy report revealed he died from the acute effects of ketamine.

After his death, some of the co-conspirators allegedly talked about distancing themselves from the actor and deleting evidence on their phones, according to the indictment.

The defendants allegedly used encrypted messaging and coded language referring to ketamine as “Dr. Pepper” to distribute their drugs, according to the indictment.

The indictment alleges that the two doctors were the initial sources of Perry’s ketamine supply, but at one point federal officials believe the drugs became too expensive and Perry switched to a new source, including Sangha, a federal source said.

Perry had high levels of ketamine in his blood, likely lapsed into unconsciousness and then went underwater, according to the autopsy report.

He was reported to have been receiving ketamine infusions for depression and anxiety, with the most recent therapy coming 1 1/2 weeks before his death, according to the autopsy report. However, the medical examiner wrote the ketamine in his system at death could not have been from that infusion therapy, as ketamine’s half-life is three to four hours or less.

His method of intake was listed in the report as unknown.

The autopsy report also listed drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects as contributing factors not related to the immediate cause of death. The manner of death was ruled an accident.

Prescription drugs and loose pills were found at his home, but nothing near where he was found dead, according to the autopsy report.

Multiple agencies have been investigating in the months since his death, including the DEA, Los Angeles Police Department, United States Postal Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Perry was known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom “Friends,” which ran from 1994 to 2004.

The actor’s family, which includes his mother, Suzanne Morrison, and his stepfather, Keith Morrison, said in a statement Thursday that they are “heartbroken by Matthew’s death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously. We look forward to justice taking its course.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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