Group home caretaker gave North Texas man 'handfuls of pills' before his death: police
ARLINGTON, Texas - A North Texas man who died while in the care of the owner of an unlicensed group home told his family he was receiving handfuls of unknown pills twice a day, according to new police documents.
This week, an autopsy reveals that man died from "mixed drug toxicity."
The woman assigned to be his caretaker is now charged with his murder months after being charged with endangerment.
The woman under investigation for mistreating patients at multiple unlicensed group homes is now facing at least one murder charge.
In January, at an Arlington home on Lake Whitney Drive, investigators found 60-year-old Steven Kelly Pankratz unresponsive.
First responders who tried to revive him said he was already showing signs of rigor mortis, meaning he may have already been dead for an hour or more.
This week, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office declared Pankratz’s death a homicide caused by a lethal mixture of painkillers and antidepressants.
Court documents say he had been under the care of Regla Becquer. Under Loving and Caring for People LLC, she operated multiple unlicensed group homes in Tarrant County.
Thursday, Arlington police charged Becquer with murder. She’s been in jail since February when she was arrested for abandonment and endangerment involving multiple clients.
According to arrest paperwork, Pankratz was hospitalized in late 2022 and referred to one of Becquer’s group homes in Mansfield.
Soon after moving into the home, investigators say Becquer took control of power of attorney for Pankratz.
Pankratz started missing doctors’ appointments and moved around from house to house in Becquer’s network.
And in the hours before he died, family members say Pankratz had slurred speech and said he’d been given handfuls of pills.
More charges are likely to be filed against Becquer.
Another woman died while in her care in 2022. Her family said she feared for her life. When she died, a handwritten will stated Becquer would take over all her assets.
Police are investigating more than a dozen deaths connected to Becquer's group homes since 2022.
More information is expected to be released next week from Arlington police regarding the case against Becquer.
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