Xavier Ortiz of the Mexican pop band Garibaldi dies at 48 after an apparent suicide in his home

Singer, actor and dentist Xavier Ortiz of the pop group Garibaldi has died after an apparent suicide.

He was 48 years of age. 

The news was broken by a tweet from Sergio Mayer Bretón, Ortiz’s former Garibaldi bandmate and current politician.

People Magazine reports that Mexican newspaper Reforma then confirmed the news, sharing that Ortiz had died by suicide Monday afternoon in his Guadalajara, Jalisco home in western Mexico. 

Xavier’s ex-wife and Garibaldi bandmate Patricia Manterola also shared the news, via Instagram on Monday afternoon. 

Earlier this year, Ortiz revealed in an interview that he was dealing financial troubles at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and even allowed that it was affecting him emotionally.

In that same interview, he also said that he had resorted to selling face masks and hand sanitizer at the start of quarantine in order to stay afloat. 

Ortiz was one of the founding members of the group Garibaldi, which was created by Mexican TV producer Luis de Llano Macedo in Acapulco in 1988 during the celebration of 175 years of Mexican Independence.

The band remained active until 1994, with reunions in 1999 and 2010.  

Garibaldi’s original lineup included Ortiz, Mayer, Manterola, Charlie López, Pilar Montenegro, Luisa Fernanda Lozano, Katia Llamos and Victor Noriega. 

The group’s hits included Que Te La Pongo, Banana and La Ventanita.

Ortiz was also an actor and model, performing in various telenovelas along with a credit in film and on stage.

Later, he became a dentist, as well as a producer, TV host and owner of a bar-restaurant in Guadalajara.

Xavier shared an 8-year-old son, named for him, with his second ex-wife Carisa de León.