Mark Balelo, 40, star of A&E's "Storage Wars", has died from an apparent suicide reported the Huffington Post on Tuesday.
The storage locker buyer and seller who's appeared sporadically on the hit reality TV show over the last few seasons was found dead in the garage of his Simi Valley, Calif. home Monday morning. Although an autopsy will be conducted in order to determine exact cause of death, police believe Balelo died from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of allowing his car to idle in his garage.
According to Starcasm, the star was also facing possible deportation to his native Portugal. Balelo's fiance said the prospect of deportation was very upsetting to Balelo and was more imminent as his criminal drug record increased.
Balelo was reportedly very upset and depressed over a recent drug arrest that landed him in jail over the weekend. Balelo's fiance, Elizabeth Metzidis, joined Balelo on Sunday after he warned that he might hurt himself. Metzidis reportedly talked him through his depression and left after several hours, feeling like Belelo had turned the corner and was in better spirits.
On Monday morning, one of Balelo's employees reportedly found him dead in his garage.
Balelo, who was nicknamed "Rico Suave", was best known for a purse he scored at an auction with $50,000 inside. He also found an 1938 Action Comics Book valued at a million dollars, which turned out to be stolen property, belonging to Nicholas Cage. Balelo was the owner of Balelo Inc., a liquidation and closeout firm.
Auction organizer Dan Dotson, a "Storage Wars" regular tweeted late Tuesday night, "Our hearts & prayers go out to Mark's small children & family as well as his devoted fiancé Elizabeth RIP Mark Balelo."
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