Scumbag Who Tore Down Jackie Robinson Statue Reportedly Caught

Last month, the trashing of a Jackie Robinson statue at a Wichita public park sparked an investigation into the scumbag(s) responsible for the vandalism.

Weeks after the incident, the first arrest was made. According to the Washington Post, the Wichita Police Department identified Ricky Alderete, 45, as a suspect behind the statue's demise. 

Alderete was arrested Tuesday and faces four criminal counts including felony theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft and making false information.

(Lutz, Jeffrey | KWCH

circa 1945: A portrait of the Brooklyn Dodgers' infielder Jackie Robinson in uniform. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

READ: Missing Jackie Robinson Statue Found 'Beyond Repair' In Fiery Dump, Police Still Searching For Vandals

The statue's disappearance on Jan. 25 shocked the Kansas community. Jackie Robinson, famously remembered for breaking MLB's color barrier, had his statue cut at the ankles, leaving only a stump of the $75,000 sculpture. Days later, pieces of the statue were discovered in a fiery dumpster, several miles away from the statue's original location at McAdams Park. 

Wichita police conducted 100 interviews, in search of the vandal(s). 

Footage obtained by authorities tallied three possible suspects behind the coordination of the statue's theft.

A statement from the police department noted that Alderete's motivation for cutting the statue had nothing to do with race, a suspicion first raised by several figures around the situation. Alderete participated in cutting down the statue to sell pieces for scrap metal, Wichita PD relayed.

League 42, a non-profit organization that first put up the statue, started a GoFundMe to fund a replacement using the original mold. The Post