SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused of stealing and destroy a Jackie Robinson statue from a Wichita Park made another court appearance Thursday. Ricky Alderete, 45, Wichita, pled guilty to the theft of the statue from League 42, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.
On January 26, police learned the statue was cut at the ankles to be removed. All that remained of the statue were Robinson's feet.
Alerete, who was in custody after an arrest on February 1, for a probation violation, burglary, kidnapping and criminal damage to property unrelated to the theft of the statue, according to online jail records was charged with the crime.
Wichita police detectives conducted over 100 interviews both within and outside Sedgwick County to resolve the case.
On January 28, officers from the Wichita Police Department Field Community Response Team located a suspect vehicle used in the theft, unoccupied, at an apartment complex in Wichita.
On January 30, the Wichita Fire Department discovered parts of the statue in a trash can at Garvey Park while responding to a fire call.
The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime, instead, police believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal, according to Moses. Police detectives remain committed to gathering information to identify and charge all individuals involved in the theft and destruction of the statue.
Alderete has been the only suspect apprehended in the statue’s destruction. He is scheduled for sentencing July 1.