Trending Now: Chaotic bodycam video of ‘Real Housewives’ stars Mel and Peet Viljoen’s arrest – Fans React

Police bodycam footage has revealed the moment Melany “Mel” Viljoen and her husband Petrus “Peet” Viljoen were arrested in the United States on suspicion of shoplifting.

The footage, shared by “Carte Blanche” on X, shows officers confronting the couple on two separate occasions. Peet was arrested outside, and Mel was arrested outside their luxury apartment building in Boca Raton, Florida.

In the video clip, Peet can be seen questioning officers as they place him in handcuffs. A female detective wearing the bodycam responds by explaining the reason for the arrest.

“I’m investigating a crime that has been occurring since last August. That’s what you’re being arrested for, for retail theft,” the officer said in the video.

She further explained to Peet that he will be taken to the headquarters for an interrogation and that he’ll be transported to a county jail.

Another clip circulated on social media, which includes a continuation, where Mel, who appears in a white gown, is visibly confused while being handcuffed by officers. At one point, she asked to make a phone call, but the officers explained that it would be taken care of later.

According to authorities, the couple are accused of stealing more than $5,000 (about R90,000) worth of goods from a branch of Publix Super Markets in Boca Raton over a period of several months.

Police allege the pair used a method known as “ticket switching”, where a shopper scans the barcode of a cheaper item while bagging more expensive goods at self-checkout counters. Investigators claim the two worked together during the alleged incidents, with Peet distracting staff while Mel scanned the items.

A police report states that across 52 transactions, hundreds of items were not properly scanned during checkout.

Some of the products listed in the report include La Marca Prosecco sparkling wine, San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, organic bananas, Coca-Cola Zero and household items such as toilet paper.

Authorities also said the couple allegedly arrived and left the supermarket in a black Range Rover during the incidents.

Mel reportedly told officers she had resorted to stealing because she was in “survival mode” and had been unable to find work since relocating to the United States due to visa restrictions.

In another police account, she also claimed she had acted alone and that her husband had nothing to do with the alleged thefts.

“Over the course of the last six months, the Viljoens have worked in concert during multiple acts of retail thefts,” a Boca Raton police officer wrote, according to the arrest report.

The South African couple, who previously appeared on “The Real Housewives of Pretoria”, were later taken to a detention facility in West Palm Beach.

They were each charged with organised retail theft, which is a felony offence according to US law.  Both have since been released on bail set at $10,000 each (about R170,000).