Art by Peter Richardson
Maria is the mother of Skates and widow of the late Officer Murphy from the Streets of Rage series. Both Maria and Murphy lived in poverty, although it isn't clear whether or not Maria actually had a job of her own. She expressed disdain at Murphy's "whistle-blowing" tendencies, urging him to concentrate on the imminent release of Skates from prison. This advice proved to be too late, as Maria's husband was later gunned down and killed on a visit to the shop.
Later that day, Maria was assaulted by Mr X's corrupt police officers in an attempt to collect a disk containing the names and crimes of criminals in their ranks. However, despite being completely shaken, Maria was deemed to be "too tough" and didn't give away the location of the files. On Skates' return home, the teenager aided his mother by calling for the emergency services, but had no idea who to trust.
Maria may be disabled; she was almost exclusively seen sitting or lying. On the one occasion she stood, she required Skates' assistance to stand, although this can be explained by her condition after the assault. There is also a handrail in the bathroom.