The auctioneer from the reality tv show, "Storage Wars," Mark Balelo, has died. The Los Angeles Times reported that Balelo was found dead in his car on Monday morning in what appears to be a suicide.
Balelo, 31, died from asphyxiation from carbon monoxide and exhaust fumes, the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office said to The LA Times. His car was found in a garage at his auction house, Balelo Inc. in Simi Valley.
"Balelo, known as "Rico Suave" on the series, which follows a team of auctioneers who sell off the contents of reclaimed storage units to buyers, drew interest for the outlandish outfits he wore to auctions
The Ventura County Star reported that the "Storage Wars" star was arrested days before on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance. An autopsy is being conducted on Tuesday, reported CBS News.
CBS reported that police said he was arrested on Saturday due to a connection with possession of methamphetamine and was scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 19.
TMZ reported that Balelo was discovered dead by one of his employees on Monday morning.
Balelo made a name for himself in the liquidation business. ABC News reported that in 2011 he helped Nicholas Cage reunite with a copy of a 1938 Superman comic book that was stolen from his home and was missing for 10 years. It was estimated at $1 million.
A&E released the following statement to Entertainment Weekly, "We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and our thoughts are with Mark's family."
"Storage Wars," which follows teams of bidders looking to score it big in the high stakes world of storage auctions, ranks as A&E's number one series of all time and the number three non-fiction show on cable among adults 25-54. The series' second season averaged 4.7 million total viewers and in November 2011 hit an all-time high of 5.6 million viewers making it the series' most watched episode and the network's #1 original series telecast of all time," reported A&E's website.
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