An arrest has been made in the theft of a Jackie Robinson statue later found dismantled and burned
A 45-year-old man has been arrested for the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue that was cut off at the ankles and found days later smoldering in a garbage can in a Kansas city park, police announced Tuesday.
Ricky Alderete was taken into custody in a kidnapping case earlier this month and charged Monday with four charges stemming from the theft and a case from 2022, 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 “just the first arrest” and that more would follow. He did not specify how police determined Alderete was a suspect in the theft.
“If you try to take anything away from this community, it will not tolerate it,” he said, adding that he was eager to share more details about the investigation after more suspects are taken into custody.
Messages left with numbers believed to belong to his relatives were not immediately returned. His attorney with the public defender’s office did not immediately return a telephone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Thieves hacked the bronze statue from its base in a park in Wichita, Kansas, last month. Only the feet of the statue remained in McAdams Park, where about 600 children play in a youth baseball league called League 42. It was named after Robinson’s jersey number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he broke the major leagues’ color barrier in 1947. .
Firefighters found burned remains of the statue five days later while responding to a trash can fire in another park about 7 miles (11.27 kilometers) away. A truck believed to have been used in the theft was previously found abandoned and police said the theft of the statue was captured on surveillance video.
Alderete, who is jailed on a $150,000 bond, is charged with felony theft and aggravated criminal damage to property in the statue case. He was also charged Monday with identity theft and providing false information in an October 2022 incident involving a property ticket, according to the complaint.
Police have not provided details about the case that led to his arrest. But online court records also show he is also charged with kidnapping and aggravated burglary. The indictment said he entered a home in Wichita on Feb. 1 with the intent to kidnap someone as part of an effort to disrupt law enforcement.
Alderete also has a criminal record that includes burglary and theft, state corrections department records show.
When asked how many others might be charged, 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 not provide further details because it was an active investigation.
After the theft, donations poured in, amounting to nearly $300,000, said Bob Lutz, executive director of the nonprofit Little League, which commissioned the sculpture.
“Jackie Robinson’s power is extremely strong in 2024 and that’s a testament to what he stood for,” Lutz said.
Lutz, whose friend, artist John Parsons, created the statue before his death, said the mold is still viable and expected a replacement to be installed within months. He estimated it would cost about $50,000 to replace the statue itself, leaving additional money that could be used to improve some of the programming and facilities.
“It will be put to good use,” he said. In April, for example, the group opened the Leslie Rudd Learning Center, which includes an indoor baseball facility and a learning lab.
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 is considered not only a sports legend, but also a civil rights icon. Robinson died in 1972.