BOCA RATON, Fla. — A Real Housewives star recently confessed to a crime spree in Palm Beach County, records showed.
Police officers arrested Melany “Mel” Viljoen, a star of The Real Housewives of Pretoria and The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: South Africa, on Tuesday in Boca Raton, records showed.
“She stated she was stealing because she was in survival mode and has not worked since coming to the U.S. due to not having a Visa,” a Boca Raton police officer wrote, according to an arrest report.
Police officers also arrested her husband, Petrus “Peet” Viljoen, formerly an attorney and businessman in Pretoria, on Tuesday in Boca Raton.
“Over the course of the last 6 months, the Viljoen’s have worked in concert during multiple acts of retail thefts,” a Boca Raton police officer wrote, according to the arrest report.
Surveillance video and store records showed the couple had stolen more than $5,300 from the Publix Supermarket at Mercado Real at 1001 South Federal Highway, in Boca Raton, according to police.
The items stolen included La Marca Prosecco sparkling wine, San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, Maison Perrier flavored sparkling water, and Coca-Cola Zero.
“There are also two incidents within the jurisdiction of Lighthouse Point in Broward County that were not reported ... due to the value not being significant,” a Boca Raton police officer wrote about alleged thefts at other Publix stores, according to an arrest report.
Corrections booked the couple on Tuesday afternoon at the Main Detention Center in West Palm Beach, according to inmate records. They each faced an organized retail theft felony charge, and their bond was $10,000 each.
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