Mauri Tapia charged with four felony counts of unlawful acts with a child

Mauricio Tapia, the 26-year-old frontman of the indie band Los Retros, was detained on Oct. 8 and subsequently faced four felony counts of unlawful acts with a child under the age of 10 in Southern California.

The musician, professionally known as Los Retros, was booked into Ventura County jail on Oct. 9 with bail set at $3 million, according to jail records. Ventura County Superior Court documentation indicates that he confronts a number of special allegations, such as the victim’s vulnerability and his exploitation of a trusted position. If found guilty, those special allegations carry the potential for a harsher sentence.

Tapia did not enter a plea during his initial proceedings. The Moorpark and Oxnard native founded Los Retros in 2016, building an audience of about 2.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify through tracks such as “Someone to Spend Time With” and “Amtrak.” The band performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio in April.

Following the arrest, Stones Throw Records, the label representing Tapia and Los Retros, released a statement on Instagram on Oct. 15 addressing the situation. Yesterday we learned of extremely serious and disturbing allegations against Mauri Tapia, professionally known as Los Retros, the label stated.

The label noted that it had previously canceled a scheduled performance by the artist at the Stones Throw 30 music festival before learning of the circumstances. In response to the disclosures, the label announced it is taking steps to disassociate itself from Tapia and his work.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is leading the ongoing investigation. Tapia is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 22.

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