“I ONLY HAD THREE BEERS” — GRANDPA’S CLAIM COLLIDES WITH A 0.16 BAC AFTER CRASH KILLED HIS TWO GRANDCHILDREN

BARNEGAT BAY, NEW JERSEY — What began as a family dinner ended in a devastating nighttime boat crash that claimed the lives of two young siblings — and now a grandfather is facing serious criminal charges while his own daughter and son-in-law are asking the court to let him come home.

Stephen Schneider, 64, told investigators that he had consumed three beers over roughly two hours while having dinner with his family at MJ’s Restaurant Bar & Grill in Bayville on July 19.

Later that night, prosecutors said his blood-alcohol concentration was measured at 0.16 — twice New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08.

Then came the crash.

THE CHILDREN WANTED TO RIDE WITH THEIR GRANDPA

After dinner, 9-year-old Mya Golabek and her 7-year-old brother, Sigmund Paul Golabek, chose to ride with their grandparents aboard Schneider’s approximately 28-foot boat.

The children had arrived at the restaurant with their parents, but afterward they headed toward their grandparents’ home by boat.

It was supposed to be an ordinary family ride.

Instead, the boat struck a wooden channel marker in the darkness of Barnegat Bay.

The impact sent both children into the water.

Both were wearing life jackets. Yet rescuers found the siblings unconscious and face-down in the bay. Schneider and his wife pulled them from the water and attempted CPR before they were taken to the hospital.

Neither child survived.

PROSECUTORS POINT TO THE 0.16 BAC

At Wednesday’s detention hearing, prosecutors argued that Schneider’s alleged level of impairment was too serious to ignore.

Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Kate Burke told the court that Schneider had consumed enough alcohol to reach an estimated 0.16 BAC before operating the vessel, calling the result catastrophic because two children died.

Schneider’s attorney disputed some aspects of the evidence and said the defense intends to investigate issues including whether the channel marker was properly illuminated and whether an independent expert should review the blood-alcohol evidence.

Schneider has been charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide and related offenses.

THEN CAME THE HEARTBREAKING REQUEST

Despite the allegations, the children’s parents asked the judge to release Schneider.

His attorney read a letter from the children’s father describing Schneider as a loving grandfather who had played an important role in the family’s life.

The father said Schneider had been there for the family in ways that words could not fully express and emphasized how much the children had been loved by their grandfather.

The request created an extraordinary courtroom moment.

The man accused of operating the boat that prosecutors say was responsible for the children’s deaths is also the grandfather their parents still consider an important member of their family.

THE JUDGE ALLOWS HIM TO GO HOME

Judge Wendel Daniels ultimately granted Schneider release under strict conditions.

He is prohibited from operating a vessel or motor vehicle while the case proceeds and must undergo a substance-abuse evaluation. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 15.

For the Golabek family, however, release cannot undo what happened that night.

Mya was 9.

Sigmund was 7.

They had gone out for dinner with their family.

They put on life jackets.

They climbed aboard their grandfather’s boat.

And they never made it home.

Now the criminal case will focus on what happened during those final minutes on Barnegat Bay — including the disputed account of how much Schneider had been drinking and whether his impairment caused the fatal collision.

A grandfather says he had three beers. Prosecutors say his BAC was 0.16. Two children are dead. And a grieving family is now asking the court to show mercy to the man accused in their deaths. 💔

The charges against Stephen Schneider are allegations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.