Police announce arrest in theft, destruction of Jackie Robinson statue; additional arrests likely

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Law enforcement in Wichita, Kansas announced the arrest of a suspect connected to the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue. 

The statue was stolen from a public park and was later found dismantled and burned. On Tuesday, Wichita police said Ricky Alderete, 45, was taken into custody earlier this month due to his connection to an unrelated case. He has a criminal record that includes burglary and theft, state correction department records show.

But, on Monday, Alderete was charged with the theft of the Robinson statue. It remains unclear how investigators ultimately came to the conclusion that Alderete was a suspect in the theft.

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Police announced Tuesday, Feb. 13,  the arrest of a man in the theft of the Jackie Robinson statue that later was found dismantled and burned.  (Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP, File)

Police noted that evidence did not suggest that the crime was "hate-motivated." The suspect instead seemed to intended to sell the metal for scrap. Authorities added that more arrests would likely be made in the future.

The statue had an estimated value of $75,000.

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"When you try to take something from this community, it won’t tolerate it," Wichita police Lieutenant Aaron Moses said.

Alderete does not yet have an attorney, but one may be named for him after his first court appearance Tuesday Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Dillon said.

The statue was located inside Wichita's McAdams park where hundreds of children participate in a