CBS News
One murder charge, but at least 20 other clients of Arlington businesswoman dead: “It’s very disturbing”
ARLINGTON — Police uncovered at least 19 additional deaths that may be connected to an Arlington businesswoman already charged with endangerment earlier this year.
Regla “Su” Becquer, who operated an illegal home-based healthcare company, is now at the center of a much larger investigation. Arlington police have been investigating Becquer for months and her unlicensed company, “Love & Caring for People LLC,” which operated community living homes.
“After everything we’ve learned, I think it’s clear to say she did not love or care for anyone,” said Lt. Kimberly Harris of Arlington police.
Authorities learned that her company, which claimed to provide supervised personal care for adults in need throughout five homes in Tarrant County, was actually serving abuse, neglect, and fraud.
“We were deeply concerned about what we saw in these homes and what we had heard up until that point. Today, I am here to tell you that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Harris.
Since September 2022, police have found at least 20 clients of hers who have died and say there could be more. Most of the victims were cremated or buried, and only two had autopsies. One of those autopsies is being reviewed, while the other revealed that 60-year-old Steven “Kelly” Pankratz died from mixed drug toxicity while under Becquer’s care.
Investigators discovered that the drugs in Pankratz’s system had never been prescribed by doctors. Last week, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner ruled Pankratz’s death a homicide and charged Becquer with murder. She is being held at the Tarrant County Jail on a $1.5 million bond.
“I’ve been doing this as an officer for 23 years now and I have never seen anything like this… we had to keep digging and going and going, and it’s been disturbing to find out the details about these folks, to go to homes that people thought were a good place, and to find out it was not vetted. It’s very disturbing,” said Chris Powell of Arlington police.
The allegations continue to pile up as investigators probe Becquer, family members, and even people they dated who served as staff at five properties. According to another arrest document, a 53-year-old woman told Arlington firefighters and police she was being held by Becquer against her will.
Investigators said the victim, who has cerebral palsy, diabetes, and can only move her arms, said the conditions were so awful at Becquer’s home that she slit her wrists. An arrest affidavit says her goal was to get emergency crews to the house.
In addition to the deaths, investigators found evidence of Becquer taking possession of clients’ phones, cars, and even houses.
Police say there is still a lot more investigating to be done on every client.
“Whether it’s 20 or 22 or more, everyone is going to get looked at completely. We are just going down the list and doing a full investigation of each one,” said Harris.Arlington police said alleged victims and their families should call APD at 817-575-3230.
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CBS News
UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione waives extradition, will return to NYC today
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. — UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione will return to New York City Thursday after waiving extradition in Pennsylvania.
Mangione could appear in front of a judge in New York City for arraignment on first degree murder and terrorism charges in just a matter of hours.
The 26-year-old did not speak to reporters as he arrived at a Pennsylvania courthouse for his extradition hearing. NYPD detectives were on hand to ensure Mangione is transported back to New York City for his arraignment. Mangione is being brought back to New York without returning to prison in Pennsylvania.
Mangione is expected to be taken straight to central booking at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, where he will be photographed before the arraignment, which is expected to happen late Thursday or early Friday, law enforcement sources told CBS News New York.
Mangione is then expected to be held at Rikers Island, where he will be in isolation and protective custody because of his high-profile status, sources said.
Mangione expected to face federal charge as well, sources say
Two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News he is also expected to be charged with a federal crime in the case.
“The federal government’s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns. We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought,” Manhattan prosecutor-turned-defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said in a statement Thursday morning.
“As alleged, this defendant brazenly shot Mr. Thompson point blank on a Manhattan sidewalk. The Manhattan D.A.’s Office, working with our partners at the NYPD, is dedicated to securing justice for this heinous murder with charges of murder in the first degree. The state case will proceed in parallel with any federal case,” the Manhattan DA’s office said in a statement.
The New York Times was first to report the expected federal charge.
What is an extradition hearing?
Extradition is the process by which one state (or nation) surrenders an individual who has been accused, or convicted, of a criminal offense outside of that state’s territory to the state where the offense occurred so the individual can face justice in that state, after the state requests it.
An extradition hearing is the legal proceeding in which evidence is reviewed to determine if there is probable cause to grant the extradition request.
By waiving the hearing, that review of evidence is waived, meaning they can proceed with necessary steps to face trial where a person has been accused.
What if Mangione contested extradition?
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday she had a plan — and a warrant — in place if Mangione did not waive extradition.
“When that happens, I will send that warrant to the governor. He has told me he will sign it immediately and the extradition will proceed,” Hochul said. “He may waive that, there is word he may waive and come back on his own. But I’m ready to bring him back here and make sure that justice is served to someone who had the audacity to gun down any New Yorker, I don’t care what their title is, with that brazen move on our streets, must result in severe consequences.”
“The benefit is he gets his New York case to start. We already know that Pennsylvania has said they are not going to move forward with their case until the New York case is completed, and so this means that once he’s here, he can actually be arraigned and the case can begin with respect to his New York charges,” explained New York Law School professor Anna Cominsky.
Mangione’s life behind bars
While Mangione was being held in Pennsylvania, he received dozens of emails and pieces of mail following his arrest last week at a McDonald’s in Altoona, CBS News New York has learned.
He also had three visitors — his attorneys — including Friedman Agnifilo, who, before she became his attorney, said in an interview his best defense would be to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
Mangione faces murder, terrorism charges
Mangione was indicted Tuesday on 11 charges, including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 in Midtown Manhattan.
“This was a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock, attention and intimidation,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, adding the killing was “intended to evoke terror.”
Among the evidence revealed in the indictment were the words “deny” and “depose” written on shell casings found at the scene, and “delay” written on one of the bullets. These are viewed as a reference to a phrase used by insurance industry critics — the “three Ds of insurance.”
Authorities have also recovered a document roughly two to three pages in length in which Mangione allegedly expressed frustration with the health care industry.
Pat Milton and
contributed to this report.
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