A man at the age of 45 was arrested and charged for stealing and damaging a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson that was erected in Wichita, Kan. Ricky Alderete, the suspect, was charged with several felonies such as theft, criminal damage to property, identity theft, and making false information.
The statue was previously located at the League 42’s youth league baseball facility and was reported missing on January 25th. The police were able to obtain video evidence which helped them to identify the vehicle that was used in the theft.
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Three days after the incident, the vehicle was found at an apartment complex in Wichita. On January 30th, parts of the statue were found dismantled and burned in a trash can at Garvey Park by the Wichita Fire Department. The remaining parts of the statue were 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.
Jackie Robinson is known for breaking down the color barrier in MLB history and is widely celebrated. Despite the act 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 looking for financial gain by selling the statue as scrap metal.
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