Tragic Details About The Cast Of Storage Wars

When Mark Balelo first popped up on "Storage Wars" in 2011, his swagger and flashy style earned him the nickname "Rico Suave" from Brandi Passante. The big spender helped shake things up by giving the old-timers a new competitor to contend with, and he seemed primed to become a fixture on the show. However, he ended up appearing in just a handful of episodes.

In 2012, Radar reported that Balelo had violated the terms of his probation stemming from a 2009 drug charge, which resulted in Balelo serving a 45-day jail sentence. He'd reportedly left his state of residence with a gun that he'd discovered among the contents of a storage unit. When Radar published its story, his girlfriend at the time, Elizabeth Metzidis, defended Balelo's character by telling the webloid, "I have a son who has autism and he's been very active raising money for that cause. At auctions, he'll donate a (storage) lot for the cause."

Days after Balelo was arrested on a methamphetamine charge in February 2013, he was found dead inside one of his vehicles, per the Los Angeles Times. His death was ruled a suicide. "We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and our thoughts are with Mark's family," an A&E spokesperson told TheWrap. Metzidis and Balelo had gotten engaged before he died, and auctioneer Dan Dotson wrote on Twitter, "Our hearts & prayers go out to Mark's small children & family as well as his devoted fiancé Elizabeth."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

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