Kansas man sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing Jackie Robinson statue from youth baseball field
A Kansas man was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Friday after he stole a Jackie Robinson statue from a youth baseball field earlier this year, according to ESPN’s Anthony Oliveri.
Ricky Alderete pleaded guilty in May to several charges after he cut down and stole a statue of the baseball icon from a Wichita, Kansas, baseball field in January. The 45-year-old 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. He was facing up to 19 years in prison.
Alderete will also have to pay $41,500 to the little league organization, League 42, which was named after Robinson.
"The Jackie Robinson statue is a cherished symbol of inspiration, not only for the youth who benefit from the many programs offered by League 42, but also for the entire community of Wichita," Police Chief Joe Sullivan said in a statement from the Wichita Police Department, via ESPN. "The sentencing of Ricky Alderete represents an important step in ensuring that our community receives the justice that it deserves.
"We are grateful to the members of the community and all of our law enforcement partners that made it possible for us to hold this individual accountable for the theft of the beloved Jackie Robinson statue."
Alderete was the only person arrested in the case, though at least two other people were seen on surveillance video when the statue was cut from its stand. The 275-pound statue was cut at the ankles, and burned remnants of the statue were found days later at a park several miles away. Police have also said that they don’t think the incident was racially motivated, but rather done in an effort to profit from “scrapping common metal.”
League 42 will unveil a new Robinson statue at McAdams Park in Wichita on Monday. Major League Baseball paid for the statue to be replaced, and the league itself received more than $500,000 from a fundraiser that was launched after the incident.
