Mark Balelo
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Mark Balelo, one of the stars of A&E's "Storage Wars," was found dead Monday, according to tmz.com and other entertainment websites.
TMZ reported Balelo was arrested Saturday by Simi Valley police at his business for a drug-related offense. He was scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on Feb. 19, according to the Ventura County Star.
The entertainment websites, including eonline.com, reported the man was distraught after being released from jail. TMZ, based in Los Angeles, said Balelo committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.
He was found dead in the garage of his auction house in Simi Valley, Calif., by one of his employees, according to Armando Chavez, senior deputy medical examiner, in a Chicago Tribune story. Chavez gave no details but said an autopsy would be probably performed Tuesday, reported reuters.
According to tmz.com, Balelo, who owned the Southern California auction house Balelo Inc., which specialized in asset liquidations and closeout sales, was found dead in his car which was parked and running in the garage.
Known as "Rico Suave" for his flashy style, Balelo was featured in the second and third seasons of the reality TV series which follows a group of auctioneers and buyers who purchase abandoned storage units.
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