Upper Darby woman sentenced for beating death

A Delaware County woman pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday in the beating death of an elderly Yeadon woman.

Krystal Mariani, 23, of Upper Darby will serve 32 to 64 years in prison for the March 2008 murder of Rita Hreha, the 85-year-old great aunt of her boyfriend, David J. Galdo. Mariani pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and theft.

A codefendant in the case, Galdo, 28, of Upper Darby, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit robbery in October, and was sentenced to life in prison.

Hreha was known for her generosity and invited the two - both drug addicts, court papers say - to live with her in her Ruskin Lane home in Yeadon.

In 2007, Galdo was arrested for stealing money from Hreha. She declined to press charges, but her bank did.

On March 17, 2008, Hreha was found beaten to death on her kitchen floor.

The two cashed a check for about $500 from the victim's account and used the money to buy drugs, according to court documents.

Initially, each defendant said it was the other who had struck Hreha with a glass figurine. At an earlier hearing, a detective testified that Galdo's finger print was found on the object.