A Warm Springs woman pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Portland to second-degree murder in the death of her 4-year-old foster son, whom she left unattended in a parked car without food and water for nine hours last summer.

Along with her guilty plea, Tamera Coffee, 34, agreed to serve a 6-year sentence, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Williams.

Coffee was indicted on the same charge after the boy died in July, but she could have been imprisoned for 10 years had she been convicted in the trial, which was scheduled to start Tuesday.

Second-degree murder means Coffee showed recklessness and extreme disregard for human life, Williams said. Her attorney, Andrew Bates of Portland, was not available for comment this morning.

Andres Saragos died of heat stroke July 13 in Coffee’s car while she was working inside the air-conditioned Warm Springs tribal headquarters office. He had been in Coffee’s care for 2-years, Williams said.

Coffee originally told police that she had left the windows of her car down 4 inches when she left the boy inside at 8 a.m. She told police she left him in the car because he did not feel well and did not want to attend a swimming class at Kah-Nee-Tah Resort. She later changed her story, saying the windows were cracked a half-inch.

But Williams said a witness was prepared to testify that the windows were all the way up on the 90-degree day.

Coffee took two breaks during the day, but did not check on the boy in the car, Williams said. At noon, she went to a friend’s house to watch a videotape of the soap opera ”All My Children” and eat lunch.

When she got off work at 5:10 p.m., she drove to the Warm Springs police station, but officers were unable to revive the boy.

U.S. District Court Judge Malcolm F. Marsh set Coffee’s sentencing for July 31.

If Marsh’s sentence exceeds the 78 months Coffee agreed to in her plea agreement, she can withdraw her guilty plea, Williams said.

Coffee, a former reserve officer for the Madras Police Department, is not in custody.