WOOD RIVER – An Alton man charged with breaking into a Wood River home and stealing a firearm from inside has been ordered to remain in custody.
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Aaron S. Basham, 33, of Alton, was charged on March 24, 2025 with residential burglary (a Class 1 felony) and possession of a weapon by a felon (a Class 3 felony).
Basham allegedly broke into a Wood River residence on March 22, 2025 and stole a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm firearm from the home. The weapon was unlawful for him to possess as a felon previously convicted of Residential Burglary in a 2015 Madison County case.
A petition was filed to deny Basham’s pretrial release, stating the victim told authorities they believed Basham was the one who broke into their home after capturing him on surveillance video. After searching Basham’s residence, authorities recovered clothing seen in the surveillance video and the victim’s stolen firearm.
“[Basham] was interviewed and admitted to entering the victim’s residence and stealing her firearm,” the petition states.
In addition to his prior felony conviction, Basham was also out on pretrial release from two other pending felony cases from 2024 at the time of this incident.
Basham was arrested by the Wood River Police Department and currently remains in custody at the Madison County Jail.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
