An Iowa man has been arrested on suspected hate crime charges, but his reason for allegedly committing the crime is what’s attracting attention. New York Daily News reports that 47-year-old Andy Benavidez is accused of assaulting another man because of the color of his skin. Surprisingly, the Johnson County man has reportedly admitted to the attack, and even provided the reason why, but it doesn’t seem that he’s going to be cut any slack because of it.



@mowords Sigh. I don’t have it in me tonight… — Clever & Starry Eyed (@nirahyman) March 17, 2016

Iowa man who assaulted a black man claims he’s “allergic to black people” https://t.co/CWWosJvQjB via @HuffPostCrime

He’s brown….WTF! — keely (@nyamentikeely) March 16, 2016

Authorities arrested Benavidez after the alleged assault occurred, and the details surrounding it are a little bizarre. The reported victim told authorities that the Iowa man used racial slurs before throwing the first punch, indicating that the crime was indeed racially motivated. This is something that Andy Benavidez does not deny. In fact, he told authorities that he is “allergic to black people.” He was also wearing a surgical mask at the time of the incident, claiming that he was doing so to prevent from catching germs.

The Iowa man has been charged with assault and violation of individual rights. Fox News 28 reports that this particular charge is a hate crime.



“The victim told police that the man identified as Andy Benavidez, 47, referred to him using racial slurs and hit him…. Posted by Nicole Ashley on Wednesday, March 16, 2016

I think Trump has just found a runningmate! Andy Benavidez, Accused In Racist Assault, Claims He’s ‘Allergic To Black People’ Posted by Stephen Michael Bowes on Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Like many other bizarre news stories, this case is attracting a lot of attention on social media — especially during a time of heightened awareness of racism and bigotry. Many folks on Twitter and Facebook are expressing bewilderment at the claims made by the Iowa man, and some have pointed out that he’s not exactly a Caucasian himself.

If you Google the term “Iowa Man,” you may find that this state is competing with the state of Florida for the most bizarre and attention-grabbing crimes. Some of the crimes out of this state are absolutely violent and horrifying. There is even a tag on Tumblr #IowaMan, which leads readers to a treasure trove of strange crime news stories.

In 2012, an Iowa man by the name of Allen A. Bramwell was arrested on multiple counts associated with indecent exposure. Of course, he also attracted media attention because he ate a baggy of marijuana after allegedly exposing himself at unsuspecting women.

Andrew Alemao allegedly threw tomatoes at Donald Trump. Photo via Johnson County Jail

Earlier this year, an Iowa Man named Andrew Alamao was arrested for throwing tomatoes at Presidential hopeful Donald Trump. His alleged actions attracted a lot of attention— in the form of both praise and disgust. The incident went super-viral among people who are absolutely against Trump running for president, for numerous reasons. This also took place in Johnson County — the same area where this latest incident took place.

What do you think of the admitted actions of Andy Benavidez? Was his claim of being allergic to black people made facetiously, or could this Iowa man actually believe that he may catch germs from them?

[Photo via Johnson County Police Department]