A suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the theft and destruction of a statue of baseball legend Jackie Robinson that was stolen from a Kansas park.
A suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the theft and destruction of a statue of baseball legend Jackie Robinson that was stolen from a Kansas park last month, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The statue was discovered missing from McAdams Park in Wichita on Jan. 25, with Robinson’s feet the only part that remained. Pieces of the statue were found days later, on Jan. 30, in a burning trash can in Garvey Park, authorities said.
A suspect in the incident — 45-year-old Ricky Alderete — was charged by the Sedgwick County district attorney on Monday with felony theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft and making false information, the Wichita Police Department said.
Police are „very confident“ that this is not a race-related crime, according to Wichita Police Department Lt. Aaron Moses. Rather, the statue was allegedly stolen for the potential financial value of the metal, he said.
„The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime,“ Moses said during a press briefing on Tuesday announcing the arrest and charges.
