A Kansas man is serving more than 19 years in prison for stealing a Jackie Robinson statue from a local park in Wichita.
Ricky Alderete, 45, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated criminal damage, interfering with law enforcement, criminal damage to property, theft, false writing and identity theft.
The statue was stolen McAdams Park It was then “dismantled and burned,” authorities said.
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(Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
The Wichita Fire Department received a call around 8:30 a.m. on January 30th about a dumpster fire in Garvey Park and the discovery of the remains of a stolen statue.
the police pointed out The evidence did not suggest the crime was “motivated by hate.” It appears the suspect intended to sell the metal as scrap. Officials added that more arrests are likely to be made in the future.
The estimated value of the statue was $75,000.
“When you try to take something out of this community, the community won’t tolerate it,” said Wichita Police Lt. Aaron Moses.
The statue was cut from its base, leaving only a bronze replica of the legendary baseball player’s cleats. Robinson broke his league’s color barrier in the majors when he joined the Dodgers in Brooklyn in 1947. The franchise then moved to California in his 1957, where it continues its history. los angeles dodgers.
FILE – Police announced the arrest of a man on Tuesday, February 13, for the theft of a Jackie Robinson statue, which was later found dismantled and burned. (Travis Heying/Wichita Eagle, via AP, File)
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Alderete is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1st, with a maximum sentence of 229 months (19 years and one month).
Alderte was detained in February in connection with an unrelated case.
A new statue is scheduled to be installed in August, in partnership with Major League Baseball and its baseball clubs. More than $300,000 was donated to replace the statue.
People gather at the Jackie Robinson Pavilion at McAdams Park on Saturday, January 27, 2024 in Wichita, Kansas. (Jamie Green/Wichita Eagle, via AP, File)
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In the majors, Robinson batted .313, won MVP in 1949, and was named an All-Star six times. He was also selected as a Negro League All-Star and was selected as an All-Star seven times in professional baseball.
Robinson died in 1972 at the age of 53, and it is widely believed that the stress he endured during his playing days contributed to his early death.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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