Overview
- Police allege about $5,300 in unpaid merchandise across 52 self‑checkout transactions since August 2025, totaling roughly 392 items through March 2026.
- Melany and Petrus Viljoen were arrested on March 10, with body‑worn camera video showing separate arrests at their apartment and during a traffic stop involving a black Range Rover.
- Both face aggravated grand retail theft charges over $3,000, with bail set at $10,000 each and court dates scheduled for April 9 and an initial case conference on April 30.
- ICE records state they entered the U.S. on B‑2 tourist visas on May 25, 2025, and failed to depart by November 24, and they are now held at Broward Transitional Center and Florida Soft Side South, known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
- An arrest report notes Melany said she acted alone and was in “survival mode,” while investigators say the pair used “ticket switching,” with Peet allegedly distracting employees as items went unscanned.