An Iowa woman accused of submerging her 1-year-old son's arm in a cup of hot coffee pleaded guilty to child-endangerment charges Tuesday.

Rebecca Brahier, 36, admitted during a police interview to intentionally placing the child's arm in a cup of instant coffee "in an attempt to teach the child a lesson," The Daily Nonpareil reported. Brahier said during the police interview that she was trying to prove to the child that the mug's contents were hot, after the child tried to stick his arm in the mug several times.

The incident, which took place in November, caused the child to suffer second-degree burns on his arm.

As part of her plea deal, Brahier received a five-year jail sentence, with credit for time served. Her sentence is eligible for review in six months if she has not yet been released, The Daily Nonpareil reported.

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Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney — pictured during a hearing Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — has cleared the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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