The Winding Ridge Road Bandit is behind bars.
Last week it was discussed that Chris Basile, who was at some point a member of the Syracuse football team, had been arrested for committing burglary on South Campus. Turns out, that was just the tip if the iceberg. If college apartment robbery is indeed an iceberg. Probably more of a floating ice sheet.
Turns out, Basile wasn't the best neighbor in the world. He lives at 351 Winding Ridge Road. The victim from the arresting burglary lives at 410 Winding Ridge Road. Now we've learned he also robbed apartments at 311 Winding Ridge Road, 211 Winding Ridge Road and 320 Winding Ridge Road. Basile's reign of terror lasted from May 3rd to May 8th, when he was finally brought to justice.
Lesson is, NEVER live on Winding Ridge Road. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times...
But here's where the story goes to 11. One of the victims from this crime spree? Andy Rautins!
The court papers indicated Basile confessed to police and some of the stolen property was recovered in his apartment. Lawyer Jeffrey DeRoberts said one of the victims was SU basketball player Andy Rautins. DeRoberts said he was working to retrieve Rautins' property.
No word on what was taken exactly but it's believed that Basile made off with nine quarts of AXE Fauxhawk-Style Pomade. God speed on returning those items safely and soon.
Still no explanation as to why Basile suddenly went all burglaryish on everyone. Could it have been some kind of retaliation for being cut loose from the Syracuse football team? No one is confirming exactly when Basile left the team, though he was on the pre-spring roster. So either he was shuffled loose from the team and decided to go back to his old bad habits or his removal from the team stems from the arrests. Basile's lawyer says he "believes" that he was still a member of the team at the time, so that's...weird.
Basile has waived his right to a preliminary hearing and is going directly to a grand jury consideration. Hopefully, we won't hear much more about him. The Doug Marrone Era needs not a distraction like this.