Man arrested for theft, destruction of Jackie Robinson statue

A 45-year-old suspect was arrested and charged for the alleged theft and destruction of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue erected in Wichita, Kan.

Suspect Ricky Alderete was charged with felony theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft and making false information, the Wichita Police Department announced on social media.

The beloved Robinson statue was reported stolen on Jan. 25. It previously stood at non-profit organization League 42’s youth league baseball facility.

The police were able to obtain video evidence to identify the vehicle used in the theft. Three days after the crime was reported, police managed to track down the vehicle at an apartment complex in Wichita.

On Jan. 30, the Wichita Fire Department found parts of the statue dismantled and burned in a trash can at Garvey Park. What remained of the Robinson statue was reportedly unsalvageable.

Alderete was later identified as a suspect involved in the theft. Wichita PD was able to obtain video surveillance that showed two other suspects with Alderete who are still at large.

Robinson, of course, is widely celebrated in MLB history for breaking the color barrier.

Despite the optics of burning down Robinson’s statue, Wichita PD’s investigation concluded that the theft was not considered a hate crime. Alderete and his associates were believed to be seeking financial gain by selling the statue as scrap metal.