Police arrest man in theft of Jackie Robinson statue, no evidence of a hate crime

Authorities in Wichita, Kansas say they have arrested a 45-year-old man in the theft last month of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue and add more arrests would be forthcoming.

The 275-pound statue was taken from McAdams Park in Wichita on Jan. 25, and only its feet were left after thieves dismantled it. The park is home to League 42, a youth baseball league named for the Hall of Famer's uniform number.

The man, Ricky Angel Alderete, was booked in an unrelated case and charged with the theft. Police say the motive was to sell the metal for scrap, but found no evidence of a hate crime.

Alderete is in Sedwick County Jail on a $150,000 bond and charged with felony theft valued at over $25,000, aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft, and making false information, according to online records. He has been in custody since Feb. 1, for other charges, including contempt of court, kidnapping, and a probation violation.

“When you try to take something from this community, it won’t tolerate it,” Wichita police Chief Joe Sullivan said. Sullivan said he would share more information once more arrests are made.

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Firefighters found parts of the statue burned at Garvey Park five days after the theft, which was captured on video.

The statue was valued at $75,000, but donations have been raised through several crowdfunding sites, including a GoFund page which has raised nearly $200,000.