Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on October 27, 2014

A Westmont man with a reported history of mental illness who authorities said had a cache of weapons and "thousands of rounds" of ammunition at his home was charged Friday with vandalizing aLombard synagogue.

John White, 40, of Tartan Lakes Drive, was ordered held in lieu of $5 million bail after being charged with a hate crime, criminal damage to property, institutional vandalism and having no valid firearms owner's identification card.

White was taken into custody Tuesday after Lombard police found him driving his car recklessly over the grounds and shrubs at the Congregation Etz Chaim synagogue, 1710 Highland Ave. The synagogue's custodian alerted police to the vandalism, prosecutors said.

White had reportedly written a hateful message in pencil on the building and had broken seven windows with a lantern he'd found on the property, DuPage County Assistant State's Attorney Enza LaMonica said in court Friday.

The prosecutor said White had brought a hatchet, a machete, an ax and a knife with him and left them in the front entrance of the synagogue. Inside his car, police found gun targets, rat poison, brass knuckles and a hateful note, LaMonica told Judge Michael Wolfe.

Police later executed a search warrant at White's residence where he lives with his mother. Under a stairwell, they found thousands of rounds of ammunition, and recovered a rifle, shotgun and four handguns, authorities said.

LaMonica said police spoke to White's mother, who said he has a history of bipolar disorder but is usually fine if he takes his medication.

White has been arrested several times on drug charges, the prosecutor told the judge, and as well as charges of DUI and not having a valid firearm owner's identification card.

The judge set an unusually high full-cash bond at the request of prosecutors, who said White told police he had access to $3.5 million in a trust fund. When the judge told White he would need the entire $5 million in cash to post bail, White replied, "I don't have access to that quantity of money."

If White were able to post bail, he would be outfitted with a GPS monitoring device and would have to surrender any firearms not already in police possession. The judge also told White that he could not go near the synagogue.

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$5 million bond in vandalism of Lombard synagogue

Category: Synagogue
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