Kansas Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing Jackie Robinson Statue, Faces 19 Years Behind Bars

On Thursday, the individual who was arrested and charged in connection with the theft of a Jackie Robinson statue from a youth baseball field in Wichita, Kansas, in February, entered a guilty plea.

As we previously reported, on January 25, police received reports about the statue being snatched and was cut off at the ankles. After searching for the statue, authorities reportedly found it smoking in a trash can, now fast word to Monday (February 12) Ricky Alderete was charged with aggravated criminal damage to property; theft of property or services valued at $25,000 to $100,000; making false information; and identity theft, according to multiple outlets.

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Alderete is facing a sentence of over 19 years in prison. Additionally, he will be required to pay $41,500 to League 42, the youth baseball program established by executive director Bob Lutz in 2013. “We’re glad that this particular chapter has been put to rest,” Lutz told ESPN on Friday. “I’m glad that someone has been held accountable for this statue theft. I hope that Mr. Alderete has learned from this experience. I hope that he has learned that what he and his accomplices did was harmful to a lot of people, including kids, and hopefully he’ll do better.”

The WPD said there has “not [been] any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime, instead, we believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal.”

“Our detectives remain committed to gathering information to identify and charge all individuals involved in the theft and destruction of the Jackie Robinson statue,” read the WPD statement.

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In the heart of Wichita, Kansas, stood a remarkable statue honoring an extraordinary individual who played an instrumental role in breaking down racial barriers in professional sports. The statue depicts none other than the legendary Jackie Robinson, an iconic figure in American history. Erected in 2017, this larger-than-life sculpture serves as a powerful testament to Robinson’s tremendous impact on the world of sports and society as a whole.

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