A prized statue of Jackie Robinson was stolen from a public park in Kansas, spurring a police search Friday and outrage across the city of Wichita.
The statue honors the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947. Surveillance video was released of two people hauling the sculpture away in the dark. Wichita police said in a Facebook post that it went missing Thursday morning.
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https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-us-jackie-robinson-statue-stolen_n_65b44d50e4b0d407294f2511
Stolen Jackie Robinson statue found burned, dismantled in trash can: Police
A statue of baseball legend Jackie Robinson stolen from a Kansas park was found dismantled and burned in a trash can fire Tuesday morning in what authorities called a "disgraceful" act, as the search for the perpetrators continues.
Destroyed Jackie Robinson statue: Man charged in theft, other suspects still sought
A suspect in the incident -- 45-year-old Ricky Alderete -- was charged by the Sedgwick County district attorney on Monday with felony theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft and making false information.
Police are "very confident" that this is not a race-related crime, rather, the statue was allegedly stolen for the potential financial value of the metal.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/stolen-destroyed-jackie-robinson-statue-wichita-arrest/story?id=107195692
A rebuilt bronze Jackie Robinson statue returns to Kansas 6 months after the original was stolen
The rebuilt statue is identical to the original because the mold was still viable. Dedicated in 2021, it was created by artist John Parsons, a friend of Lutz’s who died in 2022.
Ricky Alderete was sentenced to 18 months and ordered to pay $41,500 restitution for stealing the statue.
https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-kansas-43678dbef18a2f64a5fb9267c4f13048