Man Jailed in Pregnant Woman’s Death : Crime: Police said the Sacramento man and his common-law wife had been arguing for days.

A Sacramento man has been arrested for murder after paramedics found his pregnant common-law wife dead in the small motel room they shared with three children, police said Monday.

Anthony Howard Brown, 34, checked into the Best Inn Capri Motel on Beach Boulevard Aug. 10 and had been arguing for several days with Roxann Moralez, 17, in the room, police said.

On Sunday, paramedics who were summoned by one of the children found Moralez severely beaten and lying unconscious in the motel room’s bathroom about 10 p.m., police said.

Brown was bending over Moralez, pumping her abdomen in a futile attempt to help her start breathing, police said.

Moralez was pronounced dead at the scene a short while later, Sgt. Terry Branum said.

Homicide investigators do not know what provoked the arguments between the two, Branum said.

The three children, two boys and a girl ranging in age from 11 months to 11 years, were taken to Orangewood Children’s Home in Orange. The oldest child, an 11-year-old girl, called 911 on Sunday night to report that Moralez was laying on the floor and could not get up, Branum said.

Social workers at Orangewood will decide what further counseling the children should receive or with whom they will be placed, said senior social worker Patty Markus.

Brown and Moralez met about four years ago in Sacramento, friends there said.

The couple, who had one child together, moved to Orange County about one month ago, said James Thomas, a friend of Brown. A construction worker, Brown was moving to Orange County in search of work, Thomas said.

“I talked to him three days ago and he was cool” even though he had not found work, Thomas said.

For the past week, Brown, Moralez and the children were living at the motel at 7860 Beach Blvd.

“They were real quiet,” said one woman who has been living at the motel for two months. She said she often saw Brown playing with the children at the motel’s pool during the day.

Motel management declined comment.

Brown was being held at Orange County Jail in Santa Ana on one count of murder, Branum said.

Because Moralez was only four months pregnant, Branum said it was unlikely that Brown would be charged with the unborn fetus’ death.

Brown was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail. He was scheduled to be arraigned today, Branum said.