Woman charged with killing husband in nursing home – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Arlington police released new details Wednesday in the investigation into a woman who faces murder charges in connection with the death of a client who lived in one of her unlicensed assisted living facilities.

Following allegations of neglect, theft, fraud and abuse, Arlington police launched an investigation into the deaths of at least 20 people who lived in five unlicensed group homes in Arlington and Mansfield.

“We have allegations of abuse, theft and fraud by Miss Becquer and her company. The stories we have heard from clients and their families are disturbing, heartbreaking and unimaginable, and we are determined to bring justice to the families and victims,” ​​said Kelly Land, Arlington Police Crisis Intervention Specialist.

Police initially charged Regla “Su” Becquer, owner of Love and Caring for People LLC, with endangering a person. Last week, the Tarrant County Coroner’s Office ruled that the January death of one of the victims, Steven Pankratz, was a homicide and that the cause of death was “mixed drug toxicity.”

The coroner’s report states that a mixture of “trazadone, tramadol and mirtazapine” was found in Pankrat’s body.

“After a detailed review of his medical records, it became clear that the drugs that were in his system had never been prescribed to him by doctors or used in any medical treatment he received,” Detective Krystallyne Robinson said during Wednesday’s press conference.

According to police, Pankratz was found unconscious in one of Becquer’s homes and then taken to the hospital where he died.

Robinson said she had spoken to a family member of Pankratz who said his health “appeared to have deteriorated during his time with Ms. Becquer and she was giving him a handful of unknown pills twice a day.”

Robinson said that as her client, Becquer was responsible for Pankratz’s medical care and should have known what he should take.

Becquer was already in Tarrant County Jail on previous endangerment charges when Arlington police charged her with murder in Pankratz’s death.

Police said all other deaths related to Becquer, including Karen Walker, remain under investigation.

Walker died in October 2022 in one of Becquer’s homes in Mansfield.

The coroner initially stated that the cause of death was a natural cardiovascular disease caused by high blood pressure. But this question is now being re-examined.

“The Tarrant County Coroner’s Office is currently investigating this death and the results of that investigation are pending,” Robinson said.

Investigators said they are also currently analyzing Walker’s will, which was dated less than two weeks before her death and leaves Becquer her entire estate, including a house in Arlington that later became part of Becquer’s business.

Police said investigating each death was a lengthy process, as some people had died months or even more than a year before the case was solved.

“Many of our clients had already been cremated or buried, or their bodies had been donated to science. This made it difficult to investigate these deaths in more detail,” Robinson said.

However, they said they are exploring all avenues of investigation.

“Whether it’s 20, whether it ends up being 22 or more, each and every one of them will be thoroughly examined, but I have to go now, we have to go through the whole line and thoroughly examine each one, so that takes time,” said Officer Chris Powell.

According to the police, they have found the relatives of 80 percent of Becquer’s deceased clients and have made contact with them.

“I’ve been doing this as a police officer for 20 to 23 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Powell said. “It was incredibly disturbing.”

Arlington police said Wednesday that Becquer is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on a total of $1.5 million bail. Court documents filed June 14 in Tarrant County specified bail conditions that include surrendering her passport and wearing a GPS leg monitor. She is also not allowed to leave Tarrant County or go near the airports.

Police said the investigation into Becquer and her company, Love and Caring for People LLC, is ongoing.

“This is a complex and very wide-ranging investigation, and it is ongoing,” Powell said.

NBC 5 has contacted Becquer’s attorney for comment on her allegations and accusations, but he declined to comment.

Officials have asked the public to help them find other homes that may be operated by Becquer’s company. They would also like to speak with current or former clients of Love and Caring for People LLC and their family members. Police said Becquer has five assisted living homes, and police said there may be more:

• 1210 Woodbrook Street in Arlington
• 7411 Lake Whitney Drive in Arlington
• 7419 Fossil Creek Drive in Arlington
• 2059 Turtle Cove Drive in Mansfield
• 1852 Hidden Brook Drive in Grand Prairie

Anyone with information is asked to call a special tip line run by the Arlington Police Department and the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office at 817-575-3230.