On the heels of cast member Dave Hester's claim that A&E salted the lockers with valuables, casual cast member and auction house owner, Mark Balelo has died.
Baeleo was on the show once in a while just to spice things up. He was the guy who came in with thousands of dollars, but barely purchased anything. Always arriving with body guards in tow, he was stone-faced comic relief from the sometimes tedious regular cast.
According to TMZ:
Balelo was arrested over the weekend for alleged possession of a controlled substance. He was reportedly distraught after being released from jail. An autopsy will be conducted tomorrow.
Suicide is being reported as the early cause of death.
TMZ is also reporting that Mark was found dead in his car with the motor running.
Balelo's true claim to fame was his 2011 recovery of a stolen first edition, mint copy of the first "Superman" comic book that had belonged to Nicholas Cage. It was stolen and found ten years later, in a storage unit. A similar comic book sold for over $2m in 2011.
This is the third loss for the popular reality/scripted TV show. Mark, (the other Mark who worked for Jarrod, no last name found), stomped off the show last season and hasn't returned. Dave Hester was supposedly fired and is now suing the show. Now Mark Balelo is dead of an apparent suicide.
No word on services or family left behind.
RIP Mark, fans found you to be annoying, you played your part well.
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