Sumith Prasad
Netflix’s crime series ‘Baby Bandito’ revolves around Chilean skateboarder Kevin Tapia, whose life gets turned around when he plans a heist to steal one billion Chilean pesos from a security truck at the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, located in the city of Santiago. With the stolen money, Kevin celebrates his life with his girlfriend Génesis. Together, they elope to Italy and start to cherish a luxurious life while their fellow robbers try their best to protect their lives from the Butchers, the real masterminds behind the heist. Kevin is based on a real robber but the depiction of his life is filled with fictional details!
Who is Kevin Tapia?
Kevin Tapia is based on Kevin Olguín Sepúlveda, one of the robbers who stole around six billion Chilean pesos from a security truck at the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in August 2014. Kevin was a part of a robbery gang and the most infamous among its members due to his flashy lifestyle after the robbery. Along with his partner, after the incident which became infamous as the “robbery of the century” in Chile, Kevin ended up in Europe. He traveled across several countries, including Italy, France, and Spain. Despite being a robber on the run, he never hid himself or took precautions.
As per reports, Kevin showcased his transformed lifestyle through images posted on Facebook. Several of the photos feature him in front of some of the major tourist attractions in Europe. He evaded the authorities for two years. By that time, he had become a wanted fugitive internationally. The authorities finally captured him in Barcelona, Spain, in 2016. At the time of the arrest, he reportedly was with two burglars and his backpack contained “burglary tools” and latex gloves. Patrol officers on duty ran his fingerprints, only to come across the international arrest warrant issued in his name. From Spain, he was then extradited to Chile.
Even though Kevin Tapia is based on a real robber, there are several fictional details integrated into his storyline by the writers of the crime drama. There are no reports available that link Kevin to a Chilean mob family that’s known as the “Butchers.” Nor is there any evidence that connects him to the murders of criminals known as “Greyhound” or “Amador Robles.” The entire storyline concerning the Butchers can be fictional, created to depict the downfall of the robber. In a recent interview, Nicolás Contreras, who plays Kevin in the show, said that the series attempts to avoid glorifying the crimes committed by the robbers led by Kevin by depicting their downfall.
In the crime drama, Kevin’s life falls apart when the Butchers set out to hunt him down. They kill their father Pedro and nearly murder his associates, the Panther and Mistica. The series ends with Kevin losing someone he loves, who is killed by a Butcher. Therefore, the “Butcher” saga can be fictitious.
Where is Kevin Tapia Now?
After getting extradited to Chile, Kevin Olguín Sepúlveda was released with non-custodial precautionary measures before the sentencing. A court in Chile then sentenced him to four years in prison but he took advantage of the release to flee from the authorities. He was eventually arrested in 2018, around two years after his extradition, from a commune named Maipú. The officials found four pistol magazines, eight 9-millimeter cartridges, and other ammunition in his possession. After his arrest, he was expected to fulfill his sentence term. Kevin returned to the limelight in 2021 when he got arrested once again.
This time, Kevin was one of the four individuals who allegedly targeted a truck carrying cigarettes from the Chiletabacos company in Quinta Normal. According to Chilevisión, he was released again with a provision of providing monthly signatures. The Chilevisión report also adds that he committed the crime just four months after getting released from prison. According to the Italian outlet TODAY, he is currently in prison.
