Texas caregiver is charged with murder and investigated over the deaths of 20 others - as cops reveal how her terrifying reign of terror came undone
- Regla Becquer, 49, is the owner of multiple care homes charged with abuse
- Now, police say they have uncovered a further pattern of deaths of her patients
- Another seven victims have died in Becquer's custody since September 2022
A Texas caregiver who had been charged with abuse and endangering patients is now being investigated over the deaths of 20 people and faces at least one murder charge.
Regla Becquer, 49, the owner of multiple care homes under her LLC 'Love and Caring for People', is accused of leaving her patients to live in squalor while raiding their bank accounts.
As local authorities have investigated, they've since charged Becquer with murder on June 20 and discovered a further pattern of deaths of those she was supposed to take care of.
They have added another seven victims whose deaths have occurred in Becquer's custody since September 2022, many of which happened before they began their probe.
'We've learned about some very concerning things occurring within these homes and we want to ensure that no victims are falling through the cracks,' Arlington Chief of Police Al Jones said in a statement.
Regla Becquer, 49, a Texas caregiver who has been charged with abuse and endangering patients, is now being investigated over the deaths of 20 people who have died in her care over the past two years
'Fortunately, our investigation has resulted in multiple clients being pulled from the homes so they can receive the legitimate care they need. But there may be others we need to help.'
Back in March, it was revealed she is also accused of poisoning patients, which Chris Devendorf, the brother of a man who died in her care in January, claims caused his brother to rapidly deteriorate as soon as he joined her home.
'There was something different in his voice,' Devendorf said about his brother, Kelly Pankratz, when he last spoke to him. 'He was slurring his speech. Sounded like he had something in his mouth.'
Although her care homes are allegedly unlicensed, patients were sent to Becquer by hospitals when they don't meet the criteria for care at a licensed facility, according to KLIF.
A search warrant obtained by WFAA initially alleged that 13 patients died in her homes since September 2022, as patients were allegedly left in rotten conditions. New revelations have found another seven victims.
In the case of Kelly Pankratz, his brother said he developed a brain condition that caused confusion, and after being hospitalized for sepsis, he broke his ankle on the way home.
Pankratz was subsequently placed in one of Becquer's care homes, which Devendorf said led his brother's condition to go rapidly downhill.
He claimed that Becquer wouldn't take him for scheduled doctor's appointments, and they struggled to get into contact with Pankratz for several months.
Chris Devendorf, right, the brother of Kelly Pankratz, died in her care in January, claims caused his brother to rapidly deteriorate as soon as he joined her home
'It was impossible,' family friend Barton Gross told WFAA. 'There was just no way to get ahold of him. No mailing address, where I could even send a card.'
Becquer is accused of strategically moving patients between homes to avoid detection while cutting off their contact with their families.
Devendorf said the last time he spoke with his brother in January, when he suffered the slurred speech patterns that concerned him.
Hours later, Pankratz died inside one of Becquer's homes. His cause of death has not yet been established and an autopsy has not been conducted.
The brother said that he became suspicious of Becquer, and is seeking to 'know if he was drugged.' The search warrant added that several others, including former patients and their family members, have accused her of poisoning them.
Becquer is also alleged to have stolen money from her patients, including claims she spent $100,000 of Pankratz' money in a six-month span.
Although the purchases were made in his name, his family claims that he was known to be frugal to the point of being 'cheap', and spending excessively was out of character for him.
Many of the online purchases were also made online, Devendorf said, despite his brother not owning a phone or computer.
Pankratz, left, developed a brain condition that caused confusion, and after being hospitalized for sepsis, he broke his ankle on the way home
Gross added: 'I don't think it was him spending the money... he was frugal. Kelly was frugal to the point of being almost cheap.'
Investigators allege that Becquer also stole victims' cars and engaged in various forms of identity theft, and several had handed over their power of attorney.
Many were also said to have been only mildly disabled and of sound mind, before their conditions allegedly deteriorated rapidly once entering the care homes.
One woman, Kren Walker, is also alleged to have signed over the deed to her home to Becquer in her will on a handwritten note just two weeks before she died.
The will, which was just one sentence long, is now the subject of a forgery investigation by the Arlington Police Department, reports KHOU-11.
According to KLIF, another victim with cerebral palsy said she cut her own wrists out of desperation to get out of the home and sent to hospital.
She also claimed she was left to sleep on a bare mattress covered in her own feces, and was given a 'minty unprescribed medication' to prevent her from escaping.
Arlington police say they are still unclear how many care homes Becquer was operating, as the city of Arlington doesn't require annual licensing, unlike Dallas which requires each home to be licensed.
Becquer is also alleged to have stolen money from her patients, including claims she spent $100,000 of Pankratz' money in a six-month span. Pictured, one of her care homes
She was snared when police were called to one of the homes in November last year after a neighbor found a patient had fallen in her backyard.
When cops showed up, officers found two more patients inside, and Becquer allegedly told a caretaker not to allow police 'inside the home to check on the welfare of the patients.'
'Officers and EMS deemed that there was exigency to check the welfare of the other patients inside the home,' the search warrant stated.
