Arrest made in Jackie Robinson statue theft
Feb. 15—WICHITA — The Wichita police have arrested 45-year-old Ricky Alderete for the theft and destruction of the statue of Jackie Robinson. On January 25, the president of League 42, a youth baseball league based in Wichita, Kansas that commissioned the statue, reported its theft after it was discovered missing, cutoff at the ankles. The statue, which was valued at $75,000, was found days later, cut into pieces in a trash can fire. It was found seven miles from McAdams Park where it had been displayed.
The news rocked the baseball world at every level. Jackie Robinson is inarguably baseball's most polarizing figure. People of all creeds and races still point to Robinson as their inspiration today. The MLB honors the famed ball player every year on Jackie Robinson Day, and Robinson's number 42 is the only number retired by every MLB team.
Despite the obvious view point from many that this was a hate crime, the Wichita police say they have found no evidence that it was, in fact, a hate crime. In a statement, the Wichita police said they believe the crime was "motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal".
Alderete does have a criminal record and, according to Fox News, was taken into custody earlier in the month in an unrelated case.
Alderete has been charged by the Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett with felony theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft and making false information.
What likely started as a get rich quick scheme for Alderete has now evolved into a national story and it won't stop with Alderete's arrest. The Wichita police have said that they expect to make more arrests as video surveillance shows three individuals present during the theft of the beloved statue. The theft has clearly hit the community hard and the authorities are not taking it lightly. Sargent Trevor McDonald stated, "We have every intention of making additional arrests in this." Police Chief Joe Sullivan described the investigation as "painstaking" as Wichita police have interviewed over 100 people in their search.
The baseball community has rallied around league 42. The youth baseball league set up a Go Fund Me page to help finance a new statue with added security and, at time of writing, the league has raised $194,780.
