New body cam footage showing the arrests of the “Real Housewives” stars suspected of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of groceries from a Florida Publix has been exclusively obtained by Page Six.
In the clip, “The Real Housewives of Pretoria” stars Melany Viljoen and Petrus Viljoen, who are married, are seen separately being taken into custody by the Boca Raton police.
Melany, 39, is seen answering the door wearing a bathrobe when cops arrived at her Florida home.
She confirms to the authorities that there are no pets or people in the home before they allow her to change out of her robe and into clothes.
Melany remains extremely calm and cooperative as law enforcement take her to a police vehicle.
When asked if they can search her, she tells them, “You saw me naked,” to which an officer replies, “I know,” as they continue the pat-down.
Meanwhile, Petrus, 57, was driving a black SUV when he was pulled over by police.
After being asked to step out of his vehicle, Petrus, dressed in a gray T-shirt and jeans, looks confused and asks, “Are you arresting me?”
The officer explains that he is being investigated for retail theft, is under arrest, and will be taken to the Palm Beach County Jail.
When asked who his car is registered to, he said it was either under his or his wife’s name, before telling police that Melany is at their apartment.
The officer explains that he has been “fully cooperative,” and Petrus went on to thank her for explaining the next steps of his arrest.
According to arrest records obtained by Page Six last week, the reality TV stars were taken into custody on March 10 and charged with aggravated grand retail theft over $3,000.
They are both being held on a $10,000 bond.
The reality stars are part of the original cast of the South African installment of the beloved franchise, which premiered in 2022.
Police launched a six-month retail theft investigation on Aug. 29 after a “white male and female” were caught on CCTV footage entering the Publix and “ticket switching,” according to the arrest records.
Ticket switching is a form of shoplifting in which “a price tag or UPC barcode from a less expensive item is placed onto a more expensive item to pay a lower price,” according to the Boca Raton Police Department.
They were allegedly seen on security footage leaving the grocery store with carts filled with expensive items after avoiding the self-checkout lane, according to authorities.
The couple is accused of stealing a total of 392 items across 52 transactions between August 2025 and March 2026, according to authorities.
Reported stolen items during their alleged shoplifting spree included two cases of Maison Perrier Forever Lime Sparkling Water at $16.39 each, one case of San Pellegrino Mineral Water at $23.99 and two bottles of La Marca Prosecco Sparkling Wine at $34.99 each.
Police claim they are also suspected of stealing toilet paper, soda, produce and more groceries.
According to the incident report, Melany told police that her husband “had nothing to do with it” and “she was the only one committing the crime.”
Melany admitted to stealing $5,300 worth of items from the Boca Raton Publix, however, the TV personality told cops she was in “survival mode” because she hasn’t been able to work since coming to the US without a visa, according to the arrest record.
The investigation is ongoing and Melany and Petrus are due in court on April 9.
Read the full article here
