Kansas man pleads guilty to stealing Jackie Robinson statue, faces more than 19 years in jail
Ricky Alderete will be sentenced on July 1
The man who was arrested and charged in the February theft of a Jackie Robinson statue from a youth baseball field in Wichita, Kansas, pleaded guilty on Thursday.
Ricky Alderete, 45, was charged with aggravated criminal damage to property, theft of property or services valued at $25,000 to $100,000, making false information and identity theft, according to the Wichita Eagle. He will be sentenced on July 1.
Alderete is looking at more than 19 years in jail. He will also be forced to pay $41,500 to League 42, the youth baseball program founded by executive director Bob Lutz in 2013.
"We're glad that this particular chapter has been put to rest," Lutz told ESPN on Friday. "I'm glad that someone has been held accountable for this statue theft. I hope that Mr. Alderete has learned from this experience. I hope that he has learned that what he and his accomplices did was harmful to a lot of people, including kids, and hopefully he'll do better."
The reason for the theft, police determined, was financial and not motivated by race.
Surveillance video from Jan. 25 showed three suspects, but it has not been announced if any other individuals will be charged.
Damages were estimated to be $75,000 after the fixture was cut down to just its cleats. Burned remnants were found days later at a park seven miles away.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/sAgSc2jp8H
— League 42 Foundation (@League42ICT) April 17, 2021
The Robinson statue was built for League 42. It stood at the entry point of several baseball fields as a beacon to the community. Lutz created the space in McAdams Park in Wichita, hoping to make baseball more accessible for children.
Once news of the statue's theft and destruction went public, donations began pouring in via assistance from Major League Baseball and a GoFundMe, which raised $194,780 before donations closed on Feb. 5. According to Lutz, the combined total raised is between $500,000 and $600,000.
Lutz said in February that any extra funds after the statue is replaced will go toward boosting League 42's programming and facilities, including new surveillance cameras and improved lighting around the park.
Art Castings of Loveland, Colorado, which built the Robinson statue, has the original mold and will cast it to build the new one, which is expected to be unveiled in August.
