A man from Wichita, Kansas, has pleaded guilty to charges related to the theft and damage of the bronze statue honoring baseball legend Jackie Robinson. According to Sedgwick County District Court, Ricky Alderete, 45, admitted to his involvement in stealing the statue from Jackie Robinson Pavilion in McAdams Park in January. Alderete was part of a group that cut off the statue at the ankles, leaving only Robinson's feet. The damage was estimated to be around $75,000.
Surveillance footage captured at least three individuals entering Jackie Robinson Pavilion around midnight on Jan. 25, removing and departing with the statue. It was later found dismantled and burned in a trash can fire on Jan. 30 in Garvey Park.
The statue, created by artist John Parsons, was donated to the community by League 42, a nonprofit named after Robinson’s number with the Brooklyn Dodgers. League 42 paid about $50,000 for the sculpture, which was installed in 2021.
Alderete is set to be sentenced on July 1.
Jackie Robinson made history as the first baseball player to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, he played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro leagues and the minor league Montreal Royals. His signing marked the end of segregated baseball and opened the door for other Black players to enter the major leagues. Robinson had a stellar career with the Dodgers, winning Rookie of the Year in 1947, being named National League MVP in 1949, earning six All-Star selections, and winning the World Series in 1955.