Authorities aware of at least 20 deaths in unlicensed North Texas facilities since 2022

arlington police officials say they’re now aware of at least 20 people who died under the care of a woman who was operating at least five different homes as part of an unlicensed care facility, although they’re still investigating if the deaths are “suspicious or criminal in nature.”

In mid-March, Arlington police said it was conducting an investigation into multiple unlicensed community living homes run by a company called Love and Caring for People. The company operates homes in Arlington, grand prairie and mansfield.

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Regla Becquer, the owner, was arrested Feb. 15 and faces a charge of abandoning or endangering an individual, leading to imminent danger of bodily injury. She remains in Tarrant County custody, with her bail set at $750,000. Police officials have said that Becquer, 49, and her staff are accused of improper care of clients, attempting to cut off communication with family and making purchases with clients’ money without their knowledge or consent.

Officials have not filed additional criminal charges against Becquer as she “has only been charged in connection to one case involving one client.” Tim Ciesco, an Arlington police spokesman, said Friday via email, “we do anticipate when all is said and done, additional charges will be filed against her and possibly others.”

According to Ciesco, police officials will consult with the Tarrant County district attorney’s office. Officials believe least 20 clients of Love and Caring for People have died since September 2022.

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“We are working with the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office and their families to discern as much information as we can about the cause and manner of their deaths to determine whether any of them are suspicious or possibly even criminal in nature,” Ciesco said.

A search warrant affidavit detailed some of the conditions inside the homes, with family members of clients telling police that Becquer restricted communication with their loved ones and that their conditions were deteriorating. Some family members found multiple fraudulent debit card charges for patients and to an EBT card in one instance.

The affidavit named four people who died at homes operated by Becquer: 81-year-old Roy Lee, 60-year-old Steven Pankratz, 61-year-old Karen Walker and 70-year-old Phillip Johnson.

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Police officials are aware of five properties connected to the business: 1210 Woodbrook Street in Arlington, 7411 Lake Whitney Drive in Arlington, 7419 Fossil Creek Drive in Arlington, 2059 Turtle Cove Drive in Mansfield and 1852 Hidden Brook Drive in Grand Prairie.

The department has said its behavioral health law enforcement unit has been investigating the company over the last several months. The team working the investigation is “still in the process of reviewing evidence and speaking with possible victims [or] witnesses,” Ciesco said.

The department set up a tip line at 817-575-3230 for current or past clients of Love and Caring for People along with clients’ family members. Ciesco said the team is still working to reach the people who called the tip line.

He said it may be difficult for investigators to “glean a lot of specific information” as many of the facility’s clients died before the department’s investigation began.

“The investigation will take some time,” Ciesco said. “But we want to assure the public that we are conducting a very thorough, robust investigation and are working diligently to deliver justice to the victims in this case.”

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