Jackie Robinson statue stolen and destroyed

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Fire crews found the burned remnants Tuesday of a prized bronze statue of Jackie Robinson that was stolen last week from a public park in Kansas, an incident that sparked outrage across the city of Wichita.

The Wichita fire department received a call around 8:40 a.m. about a trash can on fire at Garvey Park in the southern part of the city and discovered what appeared to be pieces of the statue, according to police spokesperson Andrew Ford. At a news conference Tuesday, he described it as “not salvageable.”

The statue, which was cut at the figure’s ankles, disappeared Thursday morning. It honors the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947.

League 42, which is named after Robinson’s Dodgers number, paid about $50,000 for the model, which was installed in 2021 in McAdams Park, where roughly 600 children play in the youth baseball league. It also offers educational programs.

The police spokesperson said that with assistance from arson investigators, they have conducted more than 100 interviews. Surveillance video shows two people hauling the sculpture away in the dark, to a truck that was later found abandoned.

“Yes, it’s really disheartening to see the remnants of the statue and the disgraceful way in which it has been disrespected,” Wichita police Chief Joe Sullivan said, describing the discovery of it as a “direct indication of the pressure” suspects felt from the ongoing investigation.

He said police are conferring with the prosecutor’s office on a regular basis.

There will be arrests, but we’re going to make sure that when we do, we will have a solid case,” he said, adding that for anyone involved in the theft “it is only a matter of time.”

Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of Black American ballplayers. He’s considered not only a sports legend but also a civil rights icon.

Lutz, the nonprofit director, said there will be a new statue installed that will look exactly like the old one, which was made by his friend, the artist John Parsons, before his death. He said the mold is still viable and anticipated that a replacement could be erected within a matter of months.

Why someone would wait seventy years to vent their hatred on the guy's statue I dont know. Must be something about these post Trump times that is embolding bigots.

70 years?

The statue was only three years old at most.

A 45-year-old man was arrested in the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue that was cut off at the ankles and found days later smoldering in a trash can in a city park in Kansas, police announced Tuesday.

Ricky Alderete was taken into custody earlier this month in a kidnapping case and charged Monday with four counts stemming from the theft and a 2022 case, records show. Wichita police Lt. Aaron Moses said there was no evidence it was a “hate-motivated crime” but rather the intent was to sell the metal for scrap.

Wichita police Chief Joe Sullivan said it was “only the first arrest” and that there were more to come. He did not specify how police determined Alderete was a suspect in the theft.

Alderete, who is jailed on $150,000 bond, faces charges of felony theft and aggravated criminal damage to property in the statue case. He also was charged Monday with identity theft and making false information in an October 2022 incident involving a pawn ticket, the complaint said.

Police provided no details about the case that led to his arrest. But online court records also show he also is charged with kidnapping and aggravated burglary. The criminal complaint said that he entered a Wichita home on Feb. 1 with the intent to kidnap someone as part of an effort to interfere with law enforcement.

Alderete also has a criminal record that includes burglary and theft, state correction department records show.

Asked how many others might face charges, Moses said three people were seen on the surveillance video. He also noted that the statue was taken to a location where others were present. He said he could offer no further details because it was an active investigation.

Lutz, whose friend, the artist John Parsons, made the statue before his death, said the mold is still viable and anticipated that a replacement can be erected within a matter of months. He estimated it would cost around $50,000 to replace the statue itself, leaving extra money that could be used to enhance some of its programming and facilities.

“It’s going to be put to good use,” he said. In April, for instance, the group opened the Leslie Rudd Learning Center, which includes an indoor baseball facility and a learning lab.