BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A Boca Raton police investigation into repeated thefts at a Publix near Camino Real ended this week with the arrest of a couple known from South African reality television.
Petrus “Peet” Viljoen, 57, and Melany Viljoen, 39, were charged Tuesday with coordinated-aggravated retail theft in a case tied to the Publix at 1001 S. Federal Highway. Both remained in custody Wednesday. Court filings list the pair as South African nationals who had been living at an address on Banyan Road on Boca Raton’s barrier island before their arrest.
The case centers on what police described as a months-long pattern of theft inside the store, including a “ticket switching” scheme at self-checkout. Investigators say cheaper item labels were used in place of barcodes for more expensive merchandise, allowing the couple to pay less than the actual value of the goods.
Police wrote that Publix began tracking the activity after store data analysts flagged transactions involving seasonings through the company’s anti-theft system. Security footage later reviewed by investigators showed the couple at self-checkout, where seasoning packets were allegedly placed under higher-priced items and scanned instead of the correct products.
According to the police report, store security had been monitoring the pair in connection with theft incidents dating back to Aug. 29, 2025. Investigators then matched combinations of debit and credit cards used in the transactions with surveillance footage and linked both suspects to repeated visits to the same store. Police said the couple was also seen leaving the parking lot in the same 2016 Range Rover after the incidents.
Store personnel and detectives identified 52 transactions that they say resulted in the theft of 392 items. Investigators first placed the loss at $4,954, then later calculated Publix’s total loss at $5,302.17.
Police say the theft methods were not limited to mislabeled self-checkout purchases. In one February incident, the couple was accused of leaving the store with unpaid merchandise after a credit card failed to process a purchase for a pack of gum. The items taken in that case included Sanpellegrino water, according to the report.
In another incident described by police, Petrus Viljoen allegedly positioned a shopping cart in a way meant to make it look like items were being paid for while Melany Viljoen created a distraction at checkout by appearing to have trouble with her credit card. During several of the incidents, police said Petrus Viljoen distracted store employees by engaging them in conversation while Melany Viljoen walked away with merchandise.
The charges filed in the case place responsibility with Boca Raton Police, which investigated the theft allegations with evidence gathered from Publix store personnel, transaction records, and surveillance footage. The case now moves into the Palm Beach County court system, where prosecutors will decide how to proceed based on the police findings and filed charges.
For Boca Raton residents, the case is a reminder of how closely major retailers now track repeat theft patterns, especially at self-checkout. In this investigation, police say the alleged scheme was identified not by a single confrontation in the store, but through data analysis, surveillance review, and transaction matching over time.
Both defendants were booked into the Palm Beach County Jail after their arrest. No defense statements were included in the court filings provided.
We monitor daily Boca Raton arrests and booking records to provide timely updates on local criminal cases.
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