Ricky Alderete, 45, has admitted to stealing a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson that was cut off at the ankles and later discovered in a smoldering trash can in a Kansas city park.
Ricky Alderete made the admission during his arraignment on Thursday. The plea was approved by a judge on Friday.
He was arrested in February for allegedly entering a Wichita home with the intent to kidnap someone, which was said to be part of an attempt to interfere with law enforcement.
He was later charged with felony theft and aggravated criminal damage to property in connection with the statue theft, along with two other counts. Police stated that the crime was not driven by hate but was intended for selling the metal for scrap.
The bronze statue was removed from its base at a park in Wichita, Kansas. Only the feet of the statue were left at McAdams Park, where approximately 600 children participate in a youth baseball league known as League 42. This league is named after Jackie Robinson’s uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, for whom he broke the major leagues’ color barrier in 1947. January Fire crews discovered the burned remains of the statue five days later while responding to a trash can fire at another park about 7 miles (11.27 kilometers) away. Robinson’ Alderete has a criminal record that involves burglary and theft, as per state correction department records. He is scheduled to be sentenced for the most recent case on July 1.
Following the theft, donations amounting to nearly $300,000 poured in, prompting efforts to replace the stolen statue. later Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of Black American ballplayers. He is considered not only a sports legend but also a symbol of the civil rights movement.
a civil rights icon
. Robinson died in 1972.
A 45-year-old man has pleaded guilty in the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue that was cut off at the ankles and found days later smoldering in a trash can in a city park in Kansas. Ricky Alderete entered the plea during his arraignment Thursday. Authorities arrested him in February, with court records alleging he entered a Wichita home with the intent to kidnap someone as part of an effort to interfere with law enforcement. a civil rights icon. Robinson died in 1972.
