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?"

The report stated the customer attempted to end the conversation multiple times. They reported the incident and felt that they were "offended, in disbelief and felt alarmed" about the comments.

Cermak was arrested and booked at the Johnson County Jail at 4:20 a.m. Tuesday.

Reach Zach Berg at 319-887-54122, zberg@press-citizen.com or follow him on Twitter at @ZacharyBerg.