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| Marco Antonio López AKA Parived: What Happened to Tonka Tomicic’s Former Husband? |
Netflix’s High End: The Watch Theft Ring, originally titled Alta gama: El caso relojes, puts Marco Antonio López, better known as Parived, back in the spotlight. The former husband of Chilean television personality Tonka Tomicic gives his first on-camera interview in the documentary, offering his version of the events that made him a familiar name in one of Chile’s most talked-about luxury watch investigations. So, where is Parived now, what happened to his marriage, and how did the legal proceedings against him end? His life has taken a rather different direction since the scandal first attracted national attention, although the questions surrounding his name have not entirely disappeared.
Marco Antonio López Spagui was born in November 1961 in Arica, northern Chile. His early life was shaped partly by his mother, who worked as a fortune teller and tarot reader. He eventually moved to Santiago, where he began establishing himself through meditation, alternative practices and connections within certain social circles. According to accounts shared about his past, López travelled internationally to explore different spiritual traditions and experiences.
One particularly significant journey took him to India, where he reportedly met spiritual leader Osho. The encounter became an important part of his personal story, with Osho said to have given him the name Parived. López was also described as one of the spiritual leader’s close confidants. It was an unusual background for someone who would eventually become a regular subject of Chilean entertainment headlines, but his connections and personal interests helped shape the public image that followed him.
Parived became considerably more recognisable in 2004, when his relationship with television presenter Tonka Tomicic attracted media attention. Tomicic was already an established television personality, while her partner remained relatively unfamiliar to the wider public. Naturally, that difference in public profiles created plenty of curiosity, and the media began asking questions about his occupation, finances and lifestyle.
In the Netflix documentary, López addresses the speculation that surrounded his professional life. Some reports had suggested that he relied financially on Tomicic, an allegation he rejected. He explained that he had always worked as an antiques dealer and collector, insisting that this was his actual profession rather than simply an interest he pursued in his spare time. His explanation offers an insight into how he believes his public reputation developed, although it does not settle the separate allegations examined by investigators.
Parived's name later became associated with the investigation known as Caso Relojes, which examined an alleged network involving stolen luxury watches and jewellery. Prosecutors accused him of being among the buyers who purchased jewellery from Estrella Dinamarca, a woman accused of operating a large-scale luxury goods theft network.
López rejected the suggestion that he had a commercial relationship with Dinamarca. He maintained that their connection was primarily personal and described her as a social acquaintance rather than a business associate. Dinamarca, however, made different claims, accusing him of issuing bad cheques in both his name and that of Tomicic. Their conflicting accounts became part of the wider investigation, which attracted considerable attention across Chile.
The situation became particularly serious in January 2023, when police carried out searches at several properties connected to the investigation, including the home shared by Parived and Tomicic. López later explained that he had left the property to look for their missing cat. Investigators, meanwhile, reportedly believed he had departed to avoid being arrested. He eventually surrendered to authorities several days later.
On 2 February 2023, Parived was formally charged with customs receiving, illicit association and tax-related offences. He was not placed in custody, but the court imposed restrictions, including a travel ban and a prohibition on contacting other defendants involved in the proceedings. It was a considerable change for someone who had previously attracted attention mainly because of his relationship with one of Chile's best-known television personalities.
His personal life also began changing around this period. Parived and Tonka Tomicic separated, bringing their long marriage to an end. Their relationship had been a familiar subject in Chilean entertainment coverage for years, so the separation inevitably attracted further attention. However, their marital status remained legally unresolved, with the divorce process continuing separately from the criminal proceedings.
A significant development in the case arrived in March 2025, when Parived reached an agreement through an abbreviated trial. Prosecutors dropped the illicit association charge and proceeded with the case involving the receipt of stolen goods and related offences. He was ultimately convicted of customs receiving, clandestine trade and a tax offence.
The court imposed 341 days of supervised release, alongside a fine of approximately 12 million Chilean pesos and an additional payment equivalent to one annual tax unit. The agreement brought an important stage of the proceedings to an end, although it did not prevent continued discussion about his alleged connections to the wider operation.
His legal representatives maintained that the agreement should not be interpreted as an admission of involvement in the entire alleged criminal network. They explained that accepting the arrangement allowed him to put the legal proceedings behind him and return attention to his personal and professional life. In other words, his legal team wanted the distinction between the specific convictions and the broader allegations to remain clear.
As for where Marco Antonio López AKA Parived is now, reports indicate that he continues to live in the Vitacura apartment that became the subject of a banking dispute involving Tomicic. His former wife has also reportedly approached family court seeking to formally end their marriage. Their separation may have happened some time ago, but completing the legal paperwork has proved to be a rather longer process.
Interestingly, López has also reportedly maintained hope that Tomicic might return to him. He has expressed the belief that their relationship could still be repaired, despite the separation and the complicated circumstances surrounding their marriage. Whether that hope reflects a genuine possibility or simply his personal feelings remains unclear. For now, their divorce has not been finalised, and both appear to be navigating separate chapters of their lives.
The Netflix documentary gives viewers an opportunity to hear Parived explain his background, relationships and perspective on the allegations that have followed him. His interview does not erase the court's findings, nor does it replace the evidence examined during the proceedings. Instead, it adds another perspective to a case that has attracted attention because of its connections to luxury goods, prominent personalities and an investigation that reached well beyond the television industry.
There is something particularly interesting about Parived's story: his public identity changed dramatically over the years. He went from being known largely as Tonka Tomicic's mysterious partner to becoming a central figure in a major investigation. His spiritual background, antiques business and personal connections all became subjects of public curiosity, sometimes overshadowing the actual legal developments.
The documentary gives him an opportunity to challenge parts of that image, but viewers should remember that an interview is still one person's account, not the final word on every disputed detail. His convictions are a matter of record, while his position on the wider allegations remains different from the prosecution's account. And then there is the marriage, which seems to have developed its own remarkably long epilogue. Perhaps the biggest question now is whether Parived can build a quieter life away from the headlines. What do you think about his interview and his future after the case? Share your thoughts.