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Bodycam Shows Florida Arrest of 'Real Housewives of Pretoria' Couple Now Held by ICE

Immigration authorities are holding the South African reality-TV couple pending proceedings after their arrests on retail theft charges.

Overview

  • Police allege the pair stole more than $5,300 in groceries across 52 transactions since August 2025 by ticket switching at self-checkout.
  • Bodycam video shows Petrus Viljoen detained during a traffic stop of a black Range Rover and Melany Viljoen arrested at their apartment on March 10.
  • Both were booked in Palm Beach County on aggravated grand retail theft over $3,000 with bond set at $10,000 each, according to court records.
  • Jail and ICE records list Melany at Broward Transitional Center and Petrus at Florida Soft Side South, known as Alligator Alcatraz.
  • Melany told officers she acted alone and was in “survival mode,” while the arrest report says the couple acted in concert; a court date is set for April 9.