STROUDSBURG – The mother of a man accused of beating another man to death in January is heading to trial.  Sonia Maldonado, 33, was originally charged with criminal conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery, receiving stolen property and credit card fraud.   She appeared for a preliminary hearing Monday.

Sonia is the mother of Ralph Maldonado, 33, of Scranton, accused of beating Blake Natal, of Tobyhanna, to death outside the Quality Inn on West Main Street in Stroudsburg.  Blake’s body was found in the hotel parking lot January 15.

A few hours after the crime, Sonia Maldonado, and Ralph’s girlfriend, Venus Linan, 28, both of Scranton, were allegedly seen, on video surveillance cameras, using Natal’s credit card, to make retail purchases, totaling almost $1,200, at stores in Dickson City.

Both remain in jail in lieu of $250,000 bail each. 

Ralph Maldonado remains in the Monroe County jail without bail.