At least 19 more deaths have been found by police, and they may be related to an Arlington entrepreneur who was already accused of endangering others earlier this year.
Regla “Su” Becquer, who ran an illicit home-based medical business, is currently the focus of a much broader probe. For several months, Becquer and her unlicensed company, “Love & Caring for People LLC,” which ran assisted living facilities, have been the subject of an investigation by Arlington police.
“After everything we’ve learned, I think it’s clear to say she did not love or care for anyone,” Lt. Kimberly Harris of Arlington police stated.
Authorities discovered that her organization was actually serving abuse, neglect, and fraud, despite claiming to offer supervised personal care for persons in need throughout five residences in Tarrant County.
“We were deeply concerned about what we saw in these homes and what we had heard up until that point. Today, I am here to tell you that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Harris stated.
Police claim they have discovered the bodies of at least 20 of her clients since September 2022, and they believe there may be more.
Only two of the victims got autopsies; the other victims were buried or cremated. One of those autopsy is currently being examined, but the other showed that Steven “Kelly” Pankratz, 60, passed away from combined drug poisoning while in Becquer’s custody.
Investigators found that none of the medications in Pankratz’s system had ever been prescribed by medical professionals. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner declared Pankratz’s death to be a homicide last week and accused Becquer of killing him. With a $1.5 million bond, she is being held at the Tarrant County Jail.
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“I’ve been doing this as an officer for 23 years now and I have never seen anything like this… we had to keep digging and going and going, and it’s been disturbing to find out the details about these folks, to go to homes that people thought were a good place, and to find out it was not vetted. It’s very disturbing,” Chris Powell of Arlington police stated.
As investigators look into Becquer, family members, and even individuals they dated who worked as staff at five residences, the accusations keep coming in.
Another arrest document states that a 53-year-old lady informed Arlington police and firefighters that Becquer was holding her against her will.
The victim, who has cerebral palsy, diabetes, and is only able to use her arms, reportedly cut her wrists because of the terrible living conditions at Becquer’s house, according to investigators. Her objective, according to an arrest affidavit, was to get help to the residence.
Investigators discovered proof of Becquer stealing clients’ homes, vehicles, and even phones in addition to the fatalities. According to the police, each client still need a great deal of investigation.
“Whether it’s 20 or 22 or more, everyone is going to get looked at completely. We are just going down the list and doing a full investigation of each one,” Harris stated.
The families of the accused victims, according to Arlington police, should contact APD at 817-575-3230.
