The Beyond Scared Straight group is mourning the loss of an alum.
Ashley Tropez, who appeared on the popular A&E show, died at the age of 24.
According to a news statement acquired by E! News from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, on August 26, Victorville Police Department deputies responded to a report of a deceased person found inside an abandoned California residence. Tropez was discovered inside the apartment with “traumatic injuries” when deputies arrived.
According to the announcement, after discovering Tropez, personnel of the Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division-Homicide Detail initiated an investigation. Authorities have apprehended a 24-year-old suspect. Investigators believe Tropez and the suspect knew each other and “may have been squatting” at the house.
Beyond Scared Straight’s Ashley Tropez Dead at 24
Tropez featured on the reality show Beyond Scared Straight when she was 17 years old. According to A&E, the Emmy-nominated series follows teenagers who have been referred to crime prevention programmes in an attempt to keep them out of jail. Beyond Scared Straight has highlighted 331 youths across 29 prisons and jails since its inception in 2009.
Tropez stated in her episode that she was sent into the programme for “fighting and selling cannabis.”
According to The Sun, Tropez said a year later that her stint on the show had not changed her opinions. “I’m still the same guy,” Tropez told the newspaper. “I’m just everywhere, from friends’ houses to family members’ homes. I’m just relaxing.”