General Hospital

One of 4 suspects charged in the Johnny Wactor murder case has pled guilty to attempted robbery and grand theft charges.

Leonel Gutierrez, 18, is free on bond while he awaits sentencing in November ... and faces up to 5 years in prison.

The "General Hospital" actor was shot and killed back in May after leaving his job as a bartender in downtown L.A. Prosecutors say he was shot by one of the suspects, Robert Barceleau, in the chest after confronting a group of men allegedly trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car.

Jay Leno is railing against the light punishment for most perps caught stealing catalytic converters as the L.A. crime wave is turning deadly ... specifically with the recent murder of "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor.

The stand-up comic and renowned car guru tells TMZ ... it's outrageous the penalty for ripping off converters -- usually a $1,000 fine amounting to just a misdemeanor charge -- isn’t vastly harsher.

JL adds ... The slap on the wrist most thieves receive -- if they even get nabbed -- is the reason they're so brazen.

"General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor's employer is addressing his death -- and the internal outrage over alleged safety concerns  ... meanwhile, we got a big update on the criminal case itself.

Level 8 -- the bar where Johnny worked in downtown Los Angeles before he was shot and killed this weekend following a shift -- posted to Instagram Friday ... remembering him as a beloved coworker and cherished team member who was lost to a senseless act of violence.

Right after this tribute, though, Level 8 went on to tackle a growing chorus of employees and associates who've been blasting them over Johnny's death -- with claims that the bar hadn't done enough to protect their workers -- and they say they're going to delve into this issue.

The woman who was with Johnny Wactor the night he died just went on camera to describe exactly how his murder went down -- and it sounds tragic ... not to mention dramatic.

Anita Joy -- Wactor's coworker who was walking to his car with him Saturday morning in DTLA before he was shot and killed -- went on 'GMA' Friday to break down what happened ... including the moments right before his death, and the moments after he was gunned down.

Check it out ... she says they approached his vehicle, which was partially up on a jack -- they came upon a group of guys whom they thought were tow people taking the car.

The female coworker who was with Johnny Wactor the night he was fatally shot is speaking out and calling his killer a "coward" while also claiming the "General Hospital" star died in her arms.

In a lengthy message posted Wednesday to Instagram, Anita Joy opened by saying she needed a few days to collect herself before sharing Johnny's story.

Joy then described the murderer as a "coward who reacted without care of the gorgeous life he was taking." She said she's angry and sad, but most of all she wants justice for Johnny – her friend of 8 years.

Johnny Wactor's ex-fiancée passionately spoke out against his murder -- and while her heart's in the right place, the actor's family thinks her mouth is elsewhere ... and not needed.

We talked to Johnny's mother, Scarlett, who tells TMZ that Johnny and Tessa Farrell dated years ago and haven't stayed in touch ... not having spoken in at least 2-3 years. She says his family also hasn't maintained contact with her, which is why she's peeved about her comments.

Tessa's emotional plea for stricter laws in L.A. rings hollow for Scarlett, who tells us she believes Tessa is just clout-chasing -- even though Tessa's tearful video certainly seemed genuine. In fact, we spoke to her to get more detail about what she'd like to see change in L.A's criminal justice system.

Johnny Wactor's death was unjust and unnecessary -- something his ex-fiancée tearfully made clear in no uncertain terms ... with a direct plea to whoever shot and killed him.

Tessa Farrell -- an actress who used to be engaged to the slain "General Hospital" star -- hopped online Monday with a heartbreaking reaction to the news that Johnny had been murdered in Los Angeles during an attempted theft of his catalytic converter.

The video is hard to watch, as Tessa gets emotional throughout as she responds to Johnny's death ... saying it's just a microcosm of what's been happening in L.A. lately crime-wise.

Johnny Wactor -- an actor best known for appearing in nearly 200 episodes of "General Hospital" -- has died, TMZ has learned.

Wactor was shot and killed in downtown Los Angeles early Saturday morning, his mother Scarlett tells TMZ. She says Johnny was with a coworker when they saw three men messing with Johnny's car. While authorities haven't released his name, this matches the description of an incident where three suspects allegedly tried to steal a catalytic converter.

Scarlett says she was told Johnny didn't try to fight or stop them ... but, the men shot him anyway before taking off. According to police info, paramedics rushed to the scene just after 3 AM PT. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Meg Bennett -actriz y guionista de populares telenovelas como "General Hospital" y "The Young and the Restless"- ha muerto... según confirma su familia.

Bennett falleció el 11 de abril después de una batalla contra el cáncer, su familia escribió en un obituario en línea.

Bennett -que creció en Pasadena- comenzó su carrera en "Search For Tomorrow" en 1975, donde protagonizó  interpretando a Liza Walton durante unos episodios.

Meg Bennett -- an actress and writer on popular soap operas like "General Hospital" and "The Young and the Restless" -- has died ... according to her family.

Bennett passed away on April 11 after a battle with cancer, her family wrote in an online obituary.

Bennett, who grew up in Pasadena, got her start on "Search For Tomorrow" back in 1975 where she starred as Liza Walton for a few episodes.

Greg Vaughan se está recuperando después de que una aterradora dolencia lo enviara al hospital y, resulta que todo se debe a que se expuso a demasiada, demasiada altura.

La estrella de las telenovelas, mejor conocido por interpretar a Eric Brady en casi 1.000 episodios de "Days of Our Lives" y Lucky Spencer en más de 600 episodios de "General Hospital", publicó un par de fotos donde aparece conectado a una máquina de oxígeno.

Vaughan le aseguró a los fans que estaba mucho mejor, pero que tuvo que correr a urgencias después de ser golpeado gravemente con el mal de alturas.

El actor dice que llevó a sus hijos a Breckenridge, Colorado para esquiar y hacer snowboard, pero comenzó a sentirse cansado, congestionado y sin aliento, en un día que suponía debía ser divertido y relajado.

Greg dice que hizo estallar algunos NyQuil y bebió una tonelada de Pedialyte, pero eso no solucionó el problema y terminó bajando de la montaña para buscar atención médica.

Aunque pensó que el problema no iba a ser nada grave, Vaughan tiene suerte de no haber intentado resistirse a la enfermedad, porque dice que el nivel de oxígeno en su sangre era de un mísero 54% y que el líquido estaba llenando sus pulmones.

Vaughan dice que le conectaron a un par de vías intravenosas y le dijeron que probablemente era mejor que se dirigiera a una altitud más baja.

En última instancia, Greg está utilizando su experiencia para enseñar y decirle a la gente que las montañas no son una broma, así que tengan cuidado la próxima vez  que vayan a hacer esquí.

Greg Vaughan's recovering after a scary illness sent him to the hospital ... and, it turns out it's all because he got too high, too fast.

The soap opera star -- best known for playing Eric Brady on nearly 1,000 episodes of "Days of Our Lives" and Lucky Spencer on over 600 episodes of "General Hospital" -- posted a couple photos from earlier this week of him hooked up to an oxygen machine.

Vaughan assured fans he was doing just fine before but had to rush to an urgent care after getting hit with a really bad case of altitude sickness.

GV says he took his kids to Breckenridge, Colorado for a skiing and snowboarding trip, but started feeling tired, congested, and short of breath just a day into what was supposed to be a fun, relaxing vacay.

Greg says he popped some NyQuil and drank a ton of Pedialyte ... but that didn't fix the problem, and he ended up heading down the mountain to seek some medical attention.

While he thought the issue wasn't going to be anything too serious ... Vaughan's lucky he didn't try and tough through this illness -- 'cause he says the oxygen level in his blood was at a paltry 54% and fluid was filling his lungs.

Vaughan says they hooked him up to a couple IVs and told him it was probably best he head for some lower altitude.

Greg's ultimately using his experience as a teaching moment ... telling people the Rockies are no joke -- so be careful on your next ski trip.

Robyn Bernard -famosa por su trabajo en "Hospital General"- ha muerto... TMZ ha indagado.

El forense del condado de Riverside le dice a TMZ que identificaron el cuerpo de la actriz usando sus huellas dactilares después de que los agentes respondieron a una llamada de investigación de muerte ayer en la ciudad de San Jacinto, California. Nos dicen que el cuerpo de Robyn fue encontrado las primeras horas de la mañana del 12 de marzo.

El forense del condado de Riverside dice que aún no se ha determinado la causa de muerte. Una autopsia está programada para el miércoles, pero la toxicología tomará varias semanas.

Robyn nació en Gladewater, Texas, y con el tiempo se labró una carrera como actriz con pequeños papeles en series de televisión de los 80 como "Diva", "The Facts Of Life", "Simon & Simon" y "Tour of Duty".

Su gran oportunidad llegó en 1984 en la telenovela "General Hospital", interpretando el papel de Terry Brock durante 145 episodios hasta 1990.

Su último papel como actriz acreditada llegó en 2002, cuando interpretó a una psicóloga en la película "Voces del instituto".

Desde que abandonó el mundo de la interpretación, Robyn mantuvo una vida relativamente privada y alejada de los focos.

Tenía 64 años.

Robyn Bernard -- famous for her work on "General Hospital" -- is dead ... TMZ has learned.

Riverside County Coroner tells TMZ they identified the actress' body using her fingerprints after deputies responded to a death investigation call yesterday in the town of San Jacinto, CA. We're told Robyn's body was found in the early morning hours of March 12.

The Riverside County Coroner says no cause of death has been determined yet. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed on Wednesday, but toxicology will take several weeks.

Robyn was born in Gladewater, Texas, and eventually carved out an acting career for herself with small parts in '80s TV shows like "Diva," "The Facts Of Life," "Simon & Simon," and "Tour of Duty."

Her big break came in 1984 on the soap opera "General Hospital" ... playing the role of Terry Brock for 145 episodes until 1990.

Her final credited acting role came in 2002, when she played a psychologist in the movie, "Voices From the High School."

Since exiting the acting scene, Robyn kept a relatively private life, out of the spotlight.

She was 64.

Tyler Christopher died under sad circumstances -- according to officials, he suffocated to death ... and it appears to have been partially caused by him being drunk.

According to the Medical Examiner Office's report, obtained by TMZ, the "General Hospital" star's official cause of death is being listed as positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication. There's a contributing condition cited ... coronary artery atherosclerosis.

In layman's terms, Tyler suffocated to death because of how he was positioned when he died -- and the ME here is saying booze played in a part in him ending up that way. The latter description is basically plaque build-up in his arteries. His death was accidental.

We broke the story ... Tyler's friend found him deceased at his San Diego apartment -- this after trying and failing to get a hold of him for a while. His pal discovered his body in his bedroom ... and called 911 shortly thereafter.

Tyler's one-time costar, Maurice Benard, broke the news about his passing ... calling him a "truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting."

He'd been on 'General Hospital' for a very long time, starring in over 1,100 episodes. TC was only 50.