ARLINGTON, Texas — Editor's note: The video at the top of this story initially aired on May 16, 2024.
A death connected to a series of unlicensed boarding homes has been ruled a homicide by Arlington police, records show. Records also show the woman responsible for running the homes - Regla 'Su' Becquer - has been charged with murder.
The victim, 60-year-old Kelly Pankratz, died Jan. 12. His cause of death is listed as "mixed drug toxicity" following an autopsy by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner. The drugs listed are Trazodone, Tramadol and Mirtazapine. A probable cause affidavit from Arlington police states that Pankratz was not prescribed Trazodone. Police also say they found through the victim's attorney records that Becquer had taken responsibility for appointments and medical care for the victim.
Records show Pankratz was pronounced dead at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center.
Pankratz's death is one of more than 20 that police are investigating in connection to the Tarrant County boarding homes run by "Love and Caring for People, LLC" and its owner Regla 'Su' Becquer. Two of the deaths involved wills that resulted in Becquer -- or her family -- inheriting the person’s estate, according to court records.
A probable cause affidavit states that police found large amounts of medications prescribed to multiple people while searching three of Becquer's homes -- prescribed to some former patients who were still alive, former patients who were deceased, as well as to Becquer and her family. Several empty bottles of Trazodone were also found.
Police arrested Becquer in February. She was jailed on one felony endangerment charge connected to a single victim, although police have said they expect to press more charges and possibly make more arrests.
According to the arrest affidavit, Becquer told family members of her patients she would give them "something" so they wouldn't run away, and that she was the one administering the medications.
Pankratz would tell his brother, Chris, that Becquer would give him handfuls of unknown pills twice a day, the affidavit detailed.
One former patient, Valerie George, told police Becquer approached her with an unknown blue liquid and syringe, the affidavit stated, and another former patient, Angelique Estes, told police she was forcibly given that liquid and that it wasn't prescribed to her.
Akasha Evans, who was living at one of Becquer's homes, told police Becquer would bring the patients' medications to their house and sort them into pill containers.
The cause of death of another patient who died in one of Becquer's homes, Karen Walker, is still pending with the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, the affidavit stated.
Relatives for each victim have told WFAA or police that their loved ones entered Becquer's boarding homes relatively healthy but died after their arrival.
Arlington police have called the tenants staying with Becquer "perfect victims" since they often lived away from relatives or had disabilities that made them easier to take advantage of.
Police also say Becquer cut off contact between tenants and their families. She or other caretakers refused to allow some patients to speak to their relatives unless she was in the room, a warrant said.
Some victims told relatives they believed they were being poisoned, according to search warrants and WFAA's interviews with family members. Arlington investigators believe Becquer also engaged in neglect, credit card abuse, forgery and falsification of credit applications based on the tenants' income.
State law allows boarding homes to operate without oversight in many cases.
Cities and counties can license and inspect boarding homes with at least three residents.
Fort Worth and Dallas have ordinances regulating boarding homes. But most cities lack ordinances, and that includes Arlington, Grand Prairie and Mansfield – the cities where Becquer operated her homes.
Becquer was initially released on a $10,000 bond after her arrest in February. However, in early March, prosecutors filed a successful motion seeking to have the bond raised.
The motion said that she was known to travel back and forth to Cuba on a regular basis, “owns several homes with disabled patients who cannot defend themselves” and was found in possession of “several items of contraband upon the search of her homes which was conducted at the same time of her arrest.”
In raising her bond to $750,000, the judge also ordered that she surrender her passport, allow searches of her home and residence at any time, be prohibited from opening new bank accounts of business, be forbidden from acting as a “fiduciary or a notary” and ordered that she surrender her notary stamp and notary book record.