Melanie Viljoen and her husband Petrus Viljoen, stars of the South African version of the popular series “The Real Housewives of Pretoria,” have been arrested on suspicion of stealing thousands of dollars worth of groceries from a public property in Florida.
Melanie, 39, and Petrus, 57, were taken into custody by Boca Raton police on Wednesday and charged with aggravated grand retail theft over $3,000, according to arrest records obtained by Page Six. Both are being held on $10,000 bond.
When The Real Housewives of Pretoria premiered in 2022, the South African reality stars who were part of its original cast were arrested during a traffic stop while driving a Range Rover.
Boca Raton authorities first began a six-month retail theft investigation on Aug. 29 after surveillance footage showed a “white male and female” entering a Publix and “exchanging tickets,” according to arrest records.
According to the Boca Raton Police Department, ticket swapping refers to a form of shoplifting in which someone “affixes the price tag or UPC barcode of a less expensive item to a more expensive item in order to pay the lower price.”
Melanie and Petrus were also allegedly caught on security cameras skipping the self-checkout lane and leaving the supermarket with a cart full of expensive items.
The embattled reality personality is accused of stealing a total of 392 items in 52 transactions between August 2025 and March 2026.
Items reported stolen during the couple’s six-month shoplifting allegations included two cases of Maison Perrier Forever Lime Sparkling Water ($16.39 each), one case of San Pellegrino Mineral Water ($23.99) and two bottles of La Marca Prosecco Sparkling Wine ($34.99 each).
Other items stolen included toilet paper, soda, produce and other food items.
According to her arrest record, Melanie admitted that she and Petrus were the ones seen in the security footage obtained by investigators.
However, the Real Housewives of Pretoria alum told police that “she was the only one who committed the crime” and that her husband “had nothing to do with it.”
Melanie admitted to stealing $5,300 worth of items from public facilities in Boca Raton, but told police she had no choice because she was in “survival mode” without a visa and “hasn’t worked since coming to the U.S.,” according to her arrest record.
The couple’s case is still under investigation.
