GRANDPA FACES SERIOUS CHARGES AFTER BARNEGAT BAY CRASH KILLED HIS TWO GRANDCHILDREN

BAYVILLE, N.J. — A New Jersey grandfather is facing potentially decades behind bars after prosecutors accused him of operating a boat while intoxicated before a nighttime crash on Barnegat Bay claimed the lives of his two young grandchildren.

Stephen Schneider, 64, of Bayville, was arrested after the July 19 crash in Berkeley Township. He faces two counts of reckless death by vessel, along with charges related to allegedly operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation.

The victims were 9-year-old Mya Bella Golabek and her 7-year-old brother, Sigmund Paul Golabek.

The children were Schneider’s grandchildren.

A FAMILY BOAT RIDE ENDED IN TRAGEDY

The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. on July 19, when Schneider was operating a roughly 28-foot Tidewater boat through the Intracoastal Waterway near Berkeley Township.

Authorities say the vessel struck a channel marker, throwing Mya and Sigmund into the water.

The children were wearing life jackets, according to prosecutors’ account, and Schneider and his wife pulled them from the water and attempted CPR. Both children were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

What should have been a family outing had turned into an unimaginable tragedy.

PROSECUTORS SAY SCHNEIDER’S BAC WAS 0.16

One of the most significant allegations emerged during Schneider’s detention hearing.

Prosecutors said his blood-alcohol concentration was approximately 0.16% following the crash — about twice New Jersey’s legal limit for operating a vessel.

That evidence is expected to be central to the prosecution’s case.

Schneider’s defense, however, has indicated that it intends to have the alcohol testing independently reviewed.

His attorney has also questioned other circumstances surrounding the collision.

DEFENSE QUESTIONS THE CHANNEL MARKER

Schneider’s attorney, William Cunningham, argued that investigators still need to establish exactly what happened in the moments before the crash.

One issue raised by the defense was whether the channel marker struck by the boat was properly illuminated.

The defense also wants its own expert to examine Schneider’s reported BAC.

Those arguments do not determine guilt or innocence. Schneider has been charged but has not been convicted, and he remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

HIS GRANDCHILDREN’S PARENTS ASKED FOR HIS RELEASE

In an extraordinary development, Schneider’s own family supported his release from custody.

His attorney told the court that the children’s parents had submitted letters asking that Schneider be released, describing him as a loving grandfather and emphasizing the devastating circumstances facing the family.

A judge ultimately granted Schneider conditional release on Aug. 19.

As part of the conditions, he is temporarily prohibited from operating a boat or motor vehicle while completing a court-ordered assessment.

THE NEXT COURT DATE IS SET

Schneider is scheduled to appear in court again on September 15 at 11 a.m.

The upcoming proceedings could provide additional details about the evidence prosecutors have gathered and the defense’s response.

The case remains in its early stages, and the ultimate outcome will be determined through the court process.

TWO SIBLINGS WHO WERE “BEST FRIENDS”

Mya and Sigmund were remembered by their family as more than siblings.

They were described as best friends, sharing adventures, laughter and countless memories.

Their deaths have left their parents facing the unimaginable loss of both children at once.

And now their grandfather is confronting a criminal case stemming from the same night.

THE QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN

As the case moves forward, investigators and attorneys will have to examine several crucial questions:

What exactly happened in the seconds before the boat struck the marker?

How fast was the vessel traveling?

What role, if any, did alcohol play in the crash?

And does the evidence meet the legal standard required for the serious charges against Schneider?

Those questions will ultimately be addressed in court.

For now, the tragedy has left a family mourning two children, while a grandfather faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.

One nighttime boat ride. Two children who never made it home. And a September court hearing that could become the next major turning point in a case that has devastated an entire family.