Man charged in W. Dundee mall abduction might use insanity defense

A Chicago man might use an insanity defense if he ends up on trial in the attempted abduction of a youngster from a West Dundee mall, his lawyer said Thursday.

Arthur C. Robinzine, 20, is accused of kidnapping, battery and other offenses in the Dec. 6, 2007, incident at Spring Hill Mall.

Robinzine in early January was ruled mentally unfit for trial and is undergoing treatment at the Elgin Mental Health Center.

Tom McCulloch, an assistant Kane County public defender, said his client doesn't fully understand the allegations and, if drug treatment doesn't work, could argue he didn't know right from wrong at the time of the offenses.

"He's got some mental health issues and he doesn't understand the process," McCulloch said.

A hearing on the status of Robinzine's case is scheduled for June 19.

Robinzine, a student at the University of Illinois-Chicago, was arrested after he grabbed a 4-year-old boy at the mall and tried to run off before he was restrained by adults.

Carpentersville police also have said he fits the description of a man who broke into a home in the village earlier on the day of the abduction attempt.

The day before, Robinzine was charged in Cook County with theft and trespassing.