Jackie Robinson Statue Torn Down In Kansas Park Almost Rebuilt

A statue of MLB icon Jackie Robinson is close to being fully rebuilt after vandals cut down the Wichita park memorial piece in January.

Community members were shocked to find the Robinson statue, located in Historic McAdams Park, cut at the ankles and disposed of in a nearby dump. 

READ: Scumbag Who Tore Down Jackie Robinson Statue Reportedly Caught

League 42, which first built the statue in 2021 to commemorate the legendary Brooklyn Dodger, said the organization was focused on replacing the $50,000 piece. With a recent update, the statue is nearly 100% restored.

The Associated Press spoke with metalsmith Alex Haines, who's working on rebuilding the Robinson statue. Haines stated that the statue is near completion, outpacing the park's estimated six-month rebuild timeline proposed in January.

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

"Many sculptures come through here," said Haines, working for the Art Castings studio in Loveland, Colorado. "Some are a little bit more important than others. And this is definitely one of them."

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

MLB pitched in with fundraising money for the statue's rebuilding, a mission that amassed more than $500,000 in donations.

An estimated 600 kids participate in little league baseball games held at McAdams Park, with six youth teams regularly playing games at the Wichita site. 

In February, police arrested 45-year-old Ricky Alderete, suspected of desecrating the park statue. Earlier this month, Alderete pleaded guilty to several charges, including aggravated burglary and aggravated damage to property and theft. A Sedgwick County District Court judge said Alderete faces up to 19 years in prison for helping cut down and haul away the Robinson statue. 

Footage from the scene showed two possible suspects partaking in the plot.

Robinson was a six-time All-Star in Major League Baseball. He broke the league's color barrier in 1947 and was named NL MVP two years later.
 

"I'm frustrated by the actions of those individuals who had the audacity to take the statue of Jackie Robinson from a park where kids and families in our community gather to learn the history of Jackie Robinson, an American icon, and play the game of baseball," Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan previously said.

"This should upset all of us."

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