The Wichita (Kansas) Police Department on Tuesday said an arrest has been made nearly three weeks after a Jackie Robinson statue was stolen from a park — and subsequently found dismantled days later.
Ricky Alderete, 45, is charged with felony theft (value over $25,000), aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft and making false information. The statue, which police said was valued at $75,000, was stolen from McAdams Park, the home of League 42, a youth baseball league for about 600 children that commissioned and erected the statue in 2021.
“The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime,” Aaron Moses of the Wichita Police Department said. “We believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal.”
Bob Lutz, the executive director of the nonprofit League 42 Foundation, said “we’re feeling good that someone is being held responsible, and I do believe that all individuals involved will be apprehended.”