Real Housewives of Miami star Alexia Echevarria’s estranged husband, Herman Echevarria Sr., was found dead on Monday, September 26, the Miami Police Department confirms to Us Weekly.
According to E! News, who was first to report the news, and TMZ, Herman was found dead inside a room at Miami’s Epic Hotel. His business partner Gonzalo Gonzalez told the Miami Herald that it’s believed Herman died in his sleep from a heart attack. The Miami police department could not confirm the reports to Us, as an investigation is still ongoing.
“The Echevarria family is heartbroken over the sudden passing of our patriarch Herman Echevarria this morning,” Alexia told Us in a statement. “He was a family man, a hardworking businessman, dedicated to helping others and a pillar of his community that was loved by everyone who’s life he touched. We ask that you please respect our privacy during this time of grieving.”
The couple were both featured on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Miami and cofounded Miami’s Venue magazine.
Us exclusively confirmed in May 2015 that Alexia and Herman had separated after 15 years of marriage. As documented on the Bravo reality series, Herman was a father figure to her two sons, Peter and Frankie, from her previous marriage to felon Pedro Luis Rosello. (Rosello was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison after being part of one of the largest cocaine smuggling operations in the 1980s.)
“It’s uncomfortable to have to speak about my ex-husband, the biological father of my children, after we have been legally divorced for over 17 years,” Alexia wrote in a 2013 Bravo blog post. “As you all know, I’ve been happily married to Herman for the last 13 years. Peter and Frankie have always lived with me and Herman,” she explained of her situation at the time. “[They] have been blessed with having two fathers in their lives.”
According to the Miami Herald, Herman will be laid to rest on Thursday at the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery.
