On Wednesday, September 01, 2010 Darius McCollum was arrested for allegedly stealing a bus from a maintenance facility in New Jersey and driving it to New York.  This was the 27^th arrest for McCollum in 30 years.

McCollum is not the average criminal.  He suffers from Asperger’s syndrome.  Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism that closely mirrors Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  It is a developmental disorder that affects how the brain processes information.  People who have Asperger’s syndrome have trouble making friends, or reading body language; they have communication problems, or have problems understanding rules and social norms.  There is currently no cure for Asperger’s syndrome.  However, there is a form of therapy that teaches people suffering from Asperger’s syndrome how to build the communication skills they are lacking.

According to McCollum’s lawyer, Stephen Johnson, McCollum has an obsession with busses and trains.  When interviewed by the New York Times, Johnson said, “He can not help himself.  He’s fixated.”

This is not just a current obsession for McCollum.  According to Time Magazine, McCollum memorized the New York City subway system at the age of 5.

Johnson believes that because of the nature of McCollum’s disease, he has no control over his actions.  Johnson said, “The fact that McCollum was so calm when he was caught shows he doesn’t know what he did wrong.”

Johnson thinks that McCollum is in need of serious treatment for his disease rather than a harsh punishment dealt by the legal system.

McCollum has been on the police’s radar for quite some time.  He committed his first and most notorious crime at the age of 15 when he drove a New York City subway train.  In the 1990’s McCollum committed so many crimes and continued to elude police that they posted wanted posters in the subway and bus stations.  McCollum has somewhat of a cult like following, mainly from people who have family suffering from Asperger’s syndrome.  He has had songs, plays, and documentaries written about him and his fight against the legal system.

The legal system in the United States currently has no set laws protecting those with mental health disorders.  The only exceptions are the people classified as insane who are sentenced to a mental institution.  Everyone else with a mental health disorder is treated like any other person.  According to the court system, they are either guilty or not guilty.

McCollum has gotten off fairly easy for all of his previous crimes.  He is considered more of a nuisance than a threat by police.

If convicted of his latest crime, McCollum could face up to 15 years in prison.