Iowa City business owner arrested after asking customer: 'Are you a terrorist?'

The owner of an Iowa City automotive repair shop was arrested on a harassment charge after police say he repeatedly asked a customer if he was a terrorist.

According to an Iowa City Police Department complaint, Cermak Automotive owner Chad Anton Cermak, 47, was charged with third degree harassment, a simple misdemeanor, after an incident at his business Monday.

At about 4 p.m. Monday, a customer entered the store, 1220 Gilbert Court, and Cermak made "multiple and repeated harassing statements to the customer," according to the complaint.

The comments included:

"Are you a Muslim?"
"Are you a terrorist?"
"Are you a suicide bomber?"
"Are you wearing a bomb vest?"
"How do you walk down the street without people fearing you?"
"Are you going to blow up my place of business?"