🚨 GRANDFATHER REPORTEDLY REJECTS 10-YEAR PLEA OFFER IN FATAL BARNEGAT BAY BOAT CRASH 🛥️⚖️
Stephen Schneider rejected a 10-year plea deal for his role in a Barnegat Bay boat crash that killed his two grandchildren. Prosecutors allege Schneider was intoxicated when he hit a channel marker, and he now faces trial for reckless vessel homicide.
The grandfather accused in a fatal boating crash that claimed the lives of his two young grandchildren has reportedly rejected a proposed plea agreement that would have resulted in a 10-year prison sentence.
Stephen Schneider, 64, is facing two counts of reckless vessel homicide in connection with the deaths of 9-year-old Mya Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund “Siggy” Golabek.
According to reports, prosecutors offered Schneider a plea deal calling for a 10-year prison term. Schneider declined the offer, meaning the case will continue toward further court proceedings.
The children, who lived in Lacey, were killed after the boat Schneider was operating crashed into an Intracoastal Waterway channel marker in Barnegat Bay in July. The impact sent the two children into the water. Schneider and his wife reportedly pulled the children from the water, but both children died.
Authorities previously alleged that Schneider's blood alcohol concentration was approximately twice the legal limit at the time of the crash. If convicted on both reckless vessel homicide counts, he could face a significantly longer prison sentence than the rejected plea offer, according to reports.
Mya and Siggy have been remembered by their family as siblings and best friends who shared countless experiences together.
Schneider is scheduled to return to court on November 16, 2026, according to the information provided in the case.
⚖️ The charges are allegations, and Schneider is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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