Man Charged In Connection To Theft Of Jackie Robinson Statue
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A 45-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection to the theft and burning of a life-size statue of Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson in Wichita, Kansas.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett charged Ricky Alderete with felony theft of value over $25,000, aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft, and making false information, according to the Wichita Police Department.
The statue was stolen on Jan. 25, and officers located the suspected vehicle on Jan. 28 at an apartment complex, authorities said. On Jan. 30, the Wichita Fire Department found pieces of the statue burning in a trash can after responding to a fire call.
During a press conference, Wichita Police Lt. Aaron Moses said the case is not being considered as a hate crime at this time.
“The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime,” Moses said. “Instead, we believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal.”
Police noted they are still looking for at least two other suspects.
“Our detectives remain committed to gathering information to identify and charge all individuals involved in the theft and the destruction of the Jackie Robinson statue,” Moses continued.
Wichita Police Sgt. Trevor McDonald added that “with good video tips, with a lot of good community effort, with other persons giving information,” they’ve been able to hone in on “suspects on this case and ultimately [charge Ricky] yesterday with the DA’s office.”
Robinson is known for being the first Black man to play in the league. A masterful and accomplished baseball player, Robinson was dubbed the National League MVP in 1949, the National League batting champion in 1949, and a World Series Champion in 1955.