Westmont man legally insane in vandalism at Lombard synagogue
A Westmont man was declared not guilty by reason of insanity Tuesday in his 2014 vandalism of a Lombard synagogue.
Judge George Bakalis issued his ruling less than a week after John White's bench trial, saying there was evidence White was not taking his psychiatric medication when he was caught smashing windows and vandalizing the Etz Chaim Synagogue.
White, 41, was charged with a hate crime, possession of a firearm without a FOID card, and two counts of institutional vandalism of a place of worship. He has been held on $5 million full cash bond since his Oct. 21, 2014, arrest.
He will now be transferred to the department of human services where he will be evaluated. Based on that evaluation, White could be involuntarily detained at a mental health facility for as long 42 months.
Lombard police officer Joseph Statkus testified during last week's trial that he was called to the synagogue at 1710 South Highland Ave. at about 4:30 p.m. to find White driving a black SUV across the front lawn and "doing doughnuts" before crashing into the synagogue.
Statkus said he then pulled White from the SUV and called for medical assistance because White seemed confused and appeared to be bleeding from his hands.
Later, investigators found seven broken windows and the word "death" carved into the synagogue's doorway. Prosecutors allege White also had placed a hatchet, a long- sheathed knife and another sharp object near the door.
Detective Michael Chudzinski testified that a search of the home White shared with his mother revealed 200 boxes of ammunition, guns of varying types, springloaded knives, hatchets, brass knuckles, armor-piercing ammunition and a laser sight kit for the firearms.
His mother told Chudzinski that before White left the house that day he told her, "I'm going to shoot some Jews today" but then said he was just kidding and laughed.
Prosecutors argued White "has a clear fixation on the Jewish community, culture and religion" but Bakalis said the state did not offer enough evidence to overcome the insanity finding.
White's attorney, Joseph Solon, was not surprised by the ruling.
"It was absolutely the right decision," Solon said. "Without a question."
Solon said White has been taking his medication during his incarceration and is "doing really well."
"He's happy it's all over with," Solon said. "He's been sitting back there for 16 months."
Solon said White has also paid full restitution to the synagogue and feels terrible about what he did.