‘Operation Repo’ Star Sonia Pizarro Dead at 60

Sonia Pizarro, who starred in the truTV series Operation Repo, has died. She was 60. Pizarro’s ex-husband, Froylan Tercero, announced her death on May 4. Her niece, Lyndah Pizarro, told TMZ she died on May 3 in her sleep in Arizona.

“I’m deeply sad to inform you that Sonia has passed away,” Tercero wrote in English and Spanish on Instagram. “To many, she was a bad a— chick that kicked some serious a—. To me, she was and will always be my ex-wife, the mother of my son and she will always have a place in my heart and on my body since I still have her name tattooed on my stomach, Sonia we love you and I will honor you with all the good [mementos] you have me, thank you and I love you. I will be stepping away from social media for some time, thank you, guys, for understanding, love you guys.”

Operation Repo featured Pizarro, Tercero, Lyndah, family friend Matt Burch, and employees Carlos Lopez and Ronnie Lee on Pizarro’s team. The show debuted on Telemundo as a Spanish-language series, before the English-language version debuted on truTV in 2008. The series followed car repossession teams in California’s San Fernando Valley. Pizarro also starred in the movies Repo Chick (2009) and Followed (2018).

Pizarro died after facing serious medical issues in the past. Back in 2018, her family launched a GoFundMe page to help her pay for medical bills after she suffered a stroke. She lost her ability to speak and basic motor functions, according to her family. The fundraiser only raised $580 before it was closed. Lyndah told TMZ her aunt did not die because of complications from the stroke.

The last post on Pizarro’s Instagram page was published in 2018. Her family thanked fans for their support. “Thanks [to] you all for your continued support of Sonia, every day she gets a little bit better but the fight is far from over,” the statement read. “Her physical therapy will take a lot of time to return strength to her legs and [her] entire right side. Her speech ability is returning little by little and she just wants everyone to know how appreciative of your support she is! Thank you for everything!”

Pizarro is survived by her three children, Ruby, Robert, and Froylan Jr.; and her grandchildren, Bryant, Brie, and Danica. Her fans have begun leaving messages of condolences on her Instagram page. “R.I.P Sonia… You will be missed, Thank you for the laughs on Operation Repo,” one fan wrote. “My condolences to the family.”