The Pella Police Department responded to a child endangerment report involving a juvenile who sustained injuries while in the care of a caregiver. The incident resulted in visible bruising, and authorities conducted an investigation that led to an arrest and charges for child endangerment.
On December 8, the Pella Police Department responded to a report of child endangerment on the 500 block of University Street. Upon arrival, officers questioned Caleb Attema, 29, of Pella, regarding the incident.
According to court records and statements gathered by authorities, Attema was babysitting a four-year-old male juvenile, reportedly a foster child. The juvenile had an accident and wet his pants. Attema then went to the kitchen, retrieved a plastic serving spoon, and spanked the child on the bare skin. The incident resulted in red marks and bruising on the juvenile’s buttocks, with multiple patterned bruises covering a large area.
Photographs documenting the injuries were provided to Pella Police. Attema admitted to spanking the child with the kitchen spoon, which he provided to officers. During the investigation, it was noted that the spoon was cracked, with a small piece broken off. Attema stated he did not realize the spoon had broken during the incident and explained that the spanking began as discipline but escalated out of anger. He admitted to striking the juvenile at least twice and could not recall the total number of times the child was hit. Attema cited sleep deprivation from working overnight shifts in the days leading up to the incident.
A warrant for Attema’s arrest was issued by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on December 23. He is currently detained at the Marion County Jail on charges of Child Endangerment – Bodily Injury (Class D Felony). A no-contact order was issued on December 24.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 2. Bond has been set at $5,000 cash or surety.
