Shivangi Sinha
Netflix’s ‘High End: The Watch Theft Ring’ (originally titled ‘Alta gama: El caso relojes’) brings together interviews with several people publicly identified as central figures in the case. While detectives offer insights into the investigation and how the network was uncovered, those accused also share their accounts of the operation and their respective roles in it. Among the most significant contributions is an interview with Marco Antonio López, better known as Parived, who spoke on camera for the first time. He offered an extensive account of how he came to be perceived by the public and addressed the various allegations and claims about him that circulated in the media.
Marco Antonio López AKA Parived Was Close to Osho Before the Latter’s Passing
Marco Antonio López Spagui was born in November 1961 in Arica, northern Chile. His mother worked as a fortune teller and tarot reader. He eventually moved to Santiago to build a life for himself, where he found a measure of success. People who knew him during those years recalled that he worked as a meditation guide and explored alternative practices, which helped him establish connections with a select circle of people. López said he traveled to different countries to learn from these experiences. During one such journey to India, he reportedly met spiritual leader Osho, who gave him the name Parived. He is also said to have become one of the guru’s close confidants.
In 2004, Parived became a familiar name in the news following his relationship with television personality Tonka Tomicic. In the documentary, he explained that because the public knew very little about him, considerable speculation arose, particularly surrounding his professional life. Media reports at the time suggested that he was allegedly living off his girlfriend’s money, but Parived offered a different account. He maintained that he had always worked as an antiques dealer and collector, describing it as his profession. Prosecutors, however, have accused him of being among the buyers who purchased jewelry from Estrella Dinamarca, who is herself accused of operating a large-scale luxury jewelry theft network.
Marco Antonio López AKA Parived is in the Middle of a Divorce Today
Marco Antonio López AKA Parived denied having any commercial relationship with Estrella, maintaining that their interactions were largely personal and that she was simply a social acquaintance. Estrella, however, accused him of issuing bad cheques to her in both his name and that of his then-wife, Tonka Tomicic. In January 2023, as part of the Caso Relojes investigation, police executed search warrants at several properties, including Parived and Tonka’s home. He claimed that he had left the house to look for their cat, which had wandered off. Investigating officers, however, said they believed he had done so to avoid arrest. He eventually turned himself in a few days later.
On February 2, 2023, Parived was formally charged with customs receiving, illicit association and tax offenses. He was not placed in custody but was subjected to a travel ban and prohibited from contacting other co-defendants. Soon afterward, he and Tonka separated, bringing their marriage to an end, although their divorce has not yet been finalized. In March 2025, Parived reached a plea agreement through an abbreviated trial. Prosecutors dropped the illicit association charge and proceeded against him for receiving stolen goods. He was ultimately convicted of customs receiving, clandestine trade and a tax offense. He received a sentence of 341 days of supervised release and a fine of approximately 12 million Chilean pesos, in addition to one annual tax unit.
His legal team has continued to deny his involvement in the wider criminal operation, explaining that he accepted the agreement to put the case behind him and return to his personal and professional life. Reports indicate that he continues to live in the Vitacura apartment that became the subject of a bank lawsuit involving Tonka. She has also reportedly filed a petition in family court seeking to formally end their marriage. He maintains his innocence and has said that he believes his former wife will come back to him.
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