Real Housewives of Pretoria star Mel Viljoen and her husband, Peet Viljoen, were reportedly arrested in Boca Raton after police linked them to an alleged six-month retail theft spree involving more than R87 895 ($5,300) worth of goods, including Coke Zero, stolen from Publix stores.

Pretoria Rekord reports that, according to a report by Local10.com – a local news agency – police officers arrested the couple yesterday in Boca Raton.

According to the arrest report, Melany ‘Mel’ Viljoen allegedly told police she had been stealing because she was in ‘survival mode’ and had not been able to work since arriving in the United States because she did not have a visa.

Her husband, Petrus ‘Peet’ Viljoen, a former attorney and businessman from Pretoria, was also arrested in Boca Raton yesterday.

Police allege the couple acted together in a series of retail theft incidents over the past six months. Surveillance footage and store records allegedly linked them to the theft of goods worth more than $5 300 from a Publix supermarket in Boca Raton.

The stolen items allegedly included La Marca Prosecco sparkling wine, San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, Maison Perrier flavoured sparkling water and Coca-Cola Zero.

The arrest report also refers to two other alleged incidents at Publix stores in Lighthouse Point, Broward County, that were reportedly not pursued because the amounts involved were not significant.

According to inmate records, the couple were booked into the Main Detention Centre in West Palm Beach yesterday afternoon.

They each face an organised retail theft felony charge and were each granted a bond of R163 802 ($10,000).

Before their arrest, the Viljoens had publicly framed their move from South Africa to the United States as an escape from what they described as safety fears, political intimidation and race-based laws, while also presenting America as a new ‘land of opportunity’.

Since relocating to Florida, they have continued to project a glamorous, high-end lifestyle online and in media coverage, with reports describing them as ‘designer-clad’ and documenting posts about their new life in Miami, while also noting that they were outspoken about South Africa and made controversial political claims from abroad.

Peet posted a series of photos on social media last week and tagged Napa Valley in the caption.

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