A man has been charged for stealing a Jackie Robinson statue to sell for scrap metal, Kansas police say.
Ricky Alderete was charged on Monday for the theft of the bronze statue, per a Wichita Police Department Facebook announcement.
On Jan. 25, police received reports that the statue was cut off at the ankles. It was found days later smoking in a trash can.
About Alderete
Alderete, 45, was first taken into custody at the start of the month on a warrant for his arrest in an unrelated kidnapping case.
Alderete was charged with four counts — including felony theft (value over $25,000) and aggravated criminal damage to property.
He was additionally charged with two more counts — identity theft and making false information — stemming from a 2022 pawn ticket incident. He is being held on $150,000 bond.
Investigation is Pressing On
During a Tuesday press conference, WPD Chief Joe Sullivan said Alderete’s arrest was ‘only the first arrest,’ and more are expected to come. He added that the investigation is ongoing and the department has interviewed over 100 people.
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The WPD said there has ‘not [been] any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime, instead, we believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal.’
‘Our detectives remain committed to gathering information to identify and charge all individuals involved in the theft and destruction of the Jackie Robinson statue,’ read the WPD statement.
The Jackie Robinson Statue
Then, on Jan. 30, the Wichita Fire Department discovered remnants of the statue burned beyond repair when they responded to a reported trash can fire at a park.
The Jackie Robinson statue formerly stood at a youth baseball field and was owned and erected by the League 42 Foundation, a nonprofit youth baseball league founded in honor of Robinson.
