Watch as Real Housewives star arrested for months | TV Shows

Newly launched police bodycam footage captured the second a Real Housewives star and her husband have been arrested after allegedly stealing more than $5,000 price of objects from a Florida grocery store over a number of months.

Melany Viljoen, 40, who appeared on The Real Housewives of Pretoria, and her husband, Petrus “Peet” Viljoen, 57, have been arrested on March 10 in Boca Raton. Authorities charged the couple with aggravated grand theft, alleging they carried out repeated thefts from a Publix grocery store between August 2025 and February 2026.

According to police, the investigation started in late February after store officers flagged suspicious exercise tied to “ticket switching,” a tactic where lower-priced barcodes are swapped onto more costly objects. Officers later linked the couple to the incidents utilizing surveillance footage and a license plate match. It comes as a fellow Real Housewives star was hospitalized after unlawful BBL silicone injections leaked.

Bodycam footage obtained by NBC6 reveals Petrus being stopped by Boca Raton Police while driving his black Range Rover. As officers positioned him in restraints, he requested, “You’re arresting me?” A feminine detective then confirmed his id and informed him he was being arrested for retail theft. During the exchange, he also confirmed that his spouse was inside their condo.

In a separate clip, officers approached the couple’s residence, where Melany appeared at the door carrying a long white gown and no sneakers. She appeared visibly stunned as officers instructed her to flip around and place her fingers behind her back. As she was handcuffed, she requested what was occurring, to which an officer replied, “We’ll explain everything in a second.”

After officers confirmed no one else was inside the home, they performed a temporary search. Melany then requested, “Can I make a call?” An officer responded, “No, we’re gonna take care of all that, but do you mind if we check?” She agreed to the search before later altering garments and being escorted to a police vehicle. A feminine officer performed a search before securing her in the back seat.

Investigators reviewed 52 separate transactions and recognized 392 objects allegedly taken without correct fee. The whole worth of the products was reported as $5,302.17. Items listed included fruit, soda, toilet paper, and glowing water. Authorities said the couple sometimes scanned objects as low-cost seasoning packets or failed to scan them totally at self-checkout.

According to the arrest affidavit, Petrus was seen talking with store staff on a number of events “in (an) effort to distract the employee while Melany committed the crime.” He also allegedly pushed carts past the ultimate level of sale without paying.

During a post-Miranda interview, Melany told investigators she acted alone, despite both people being recognized in surveillance footage. Petrus denied involvement in the alleged thefts.

Under Florida law, aggravated retail theft is assessed as a second-degree felony, which carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison. The couple was booked into jail following their arrests and later transferred into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. They have been formally charged on April 8, according to data.

The Real Housewives of Pretoria, which premiered in 2022 and ran for one season, adopted a group of prosperous South African girls. Melany told investigators she had not labored since relocating to the United States last summer time and described herself as being in “survival mode.”

In earlier feedback to IOL, she said she left South Africa due to security considerations. “Black people would pitch at my business, at my house, at multiple of my businesses and try to intimidate the staff and try to intimidate me,” she said. “It just became so scary for me in South Africa that I couldn’t wait to leave.”

Before her arrest, Melany hosted a podcast with weekly episodes through October 2025 and operated a nail model. Petrus has described himself as a “celebrity lawyer.” Following the arrests, Melany briefly archived her Instagram account before restoring it.