The daughter of Peter Falk said that the legendary "Columbo" star is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia, according to TMZ.com.

The celebrity gossip site said that Catherine Falk filed legal papers in Los Angeles Superior Court, saying that Peter Falk "requires full-time custodial care for his health and safety."

Peter Falk, 81, steadily played Detective Columbo in a series of television movies from 1971 to 1978. He reprised the character for more television movies a decade later and played him time and again as late as 2000.

According to TMZ, Catherine Falk said in court papers that she is concerned that father "can easily be deceived into transferring away property." She's seeking a conservatorship to protect her father from "fraud or undue influence."

In addition to his television credits, Peter Falk starred in several film roles. His big-screen credits include "The In-Laws," "The Brink's Job," "The Princess Bride," "Made," "Shark Tale" and "The Thing About My Folks" (interview)

TMZ said that calls to Peter Falk's representatives were not returned.