Man with Likely Asperger's Due in Court After 27 Arrests for Commandeering Trains and Buses
Darius McCollum has an obsession with trains and buses. He pretends to be a New York City transit worker to commandeer the vehicles, a habit that has led to 27 arrests.
McCollum is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday after being charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of property in an August 2010 incident, the New York Times City Room blog reports. His lawyer, Stephen Jackson, tells the Times his client took control of a Trailways bus, picked up passengers at a Manhattan hotel, and drove them to the airport. He was returning the bus to New Jersey when arrested.
McCollum is believed to have Asperger syndrome, the story says. “His condition isn’t a secret or a mystery to the courts,” Jackson tells the Times. “Unfortunately, they have not been able to deal with it.”
The story quotes Lori Shery, founder of the Asperger Syndrome Education Network. In her view, programs are needed to educate judges and lawyers about autism spectrum disorders. “We need to do this so they can understand what makes these people tick,” she said.
