Police on Monday charged a person for the theft and destruction of a Jackie Robinson statue in Wichita, Kansas in January, the Affiliate Press reported.
A number of weeks in the past, police started trying to find the statue after studying of its disappearance from McAdams Park. The park is residence to a youth baseball league known as League 42, named after the legendary participant’s jersey quantity.
The bronze statue was reduce on the ankles from its base. Solely the cleats remained.
Days later, firefighters responded to a trash can fireplace roughly seven miles away from the park. There, they discovered the burned stays of the statue.
Ricky Alderete, 45, was charged with felony theft, aggravated legal injury to property, id theft and making false data. He was taken into custody on a $150,000 bond. Data additionally revealed he had a earlier document of theft and housebreaking offenses.
In line with Wichita Police Lt. Aaron Moses, Alderete was arrested earlier in February for an unrelated crime.
Moses additionally mentioned the theft was a “hate-motivated crime.” It’s believed Alderete stole the statue
to promote the metallic. The statue is value an estimated $75,000.
Police mentioned it was solely the primary arrest made for the theft. Surveillance footage confirmed no less than three individuals current on the location the place the statue was taken.
