A statue of famous Major League Baseball player Jackie Robinson stolen from a youth baseball field in Wichita, Kansas, has been found vandalized, according to reports.
Police in Wichita, Kansas, reported on January 25 that a statue outside the baseball diamond at McAdams Park had been torn down. Police also shared a video showing the thieves stealing the statue before driving away.
“I noticed it when I left the building around noon today.” According to KAKE-TV, park supporter Bob Lutz said, “I always see the Jackie statue, and I saw it again today, but I didn’t notice it.” It wasn’t there or I couldn’t see it.”
“This is a sacred place. This is a place to honor a man who broke barriers and accomplished things that had never been done before,” Lutz added.
Now, the statue has been discovered…or at least its remains.
Fragments of the statue were found burning in Wichita at 8:40 a.m. on January 30, and after the fire was extinguished, authorities discovered the shattered remains of the statue.
This is the only statue of Jackie Robinson left. ὢ https://t.co/cgPGwb3jJe #KAKEnews pic.twitter.com/gp9snHmI3r
— KAKE News (@KAKEnews) January 30, 2024
The police department is still investigating the vandalism of the statue and is asking anyone with information about the theft to call Wichita police detectives at 316-268-4407.
Wichita City Councilman Brandon Johnson said he is trying to get the city to pay for a replacement statue in the park.
“We will continue to invest in this community and this tragic incident will not dampen the hope we all have for this region,” Johnson said, according to the newspaper. That’s what it means. TMZ Sports.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Hustonor truth social @WarnerToddHuston
