Entertainment

‘Wars’ tragic star

Mark Balelo, a recurring cast member of A&E’s “Storage Wars,” was found dead at his home in Simi Valley, Calif. on Monday. He was 40.

Balelo was arrested last weekend for alleged possession of a controlled substance and was said to be “distraught” after his release from jail, according to reports.

He once owned the Balelo Inc. auction house and was known to “Storage Wars” viewers for his natty style of dress and for carrying over $50,000 in cash to auctions.

One of Balelo’s employees found his body inside the garage of his home, according to TMZ.

In April 2011, Balelo helped Nicolas Cage recover a mint-condition copy of a 1938 Action Comics book valued at $1 million, that was stolen from the actor’s storage locker 11 years before.