Woman in Motel Probably Died of Overdose, Police Say

Police believe the dead woman found Wednesday in an Anaheim motel room with her child at her side died from a drug overdose.

They identified her as Julianne Sepulveda, 30, of Anaheim, who had served two years in state prison for narcotics possession in 1994. Her 3-year-old son, Alex, was in good health Thursday in protective custody at Orangewood Children’s Home.

Officials are expected to decide by Monday if the child will be released to relatives or placed in a foster home.

Toxicology tests, expected in six to eight weeks, will confirm Sepulveda’s cause of death.

Anaheim Police spokesman Sgt. Joe Vargas called the death “suspicious,” but said, “We have no evidence any crime has been committed.”

Police are looking for a man who checked into the motel with Sepulveda on July 1. Witnesses said he was seen Sunday leaving the motel in a gold 1998 Chevrolet truck. Police have his name from the motel register but would not release it.

Police don’t know if the man was there when she died. “The only thing that irks us is this male who rented the room with her has just not been seen,” Vargas said. “We want to find this guy and ask him what exactly happened.”

An investigator said they suspect the woman died from an overdose because there were no obvious signs of trauma and they found drug paraphernalia in the room.

A maintenance worker found the body shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday after noticing a foul smell coming from a room at the Arena Inn and Suites on Katella Avenue.

The boy was inside watching television, police said. They believe he had been alone with the body for several days.