Man Gets 15-Year Prison Sentence For Stealing Jackie Robinson Statue

PublishedAugust 3, 2024 1:57 PM EDT|UpdatedAugust 3, 2024 1:57 PM EDT

A middle-aged baseball fan is going to have plenty of time to reflect on damaging and stealing a massive Jackie Robinson cement statue outside Wichita's McAdams Park in Wichita, Kansas.

Ricky Alderete, 45, pleaded guilty back in May to multiple theft charges stemming from his involvement in cutting down and stealing the baseball icon's metal statue from the League 42 youth baseball park. This past week, he met his decade-plus-long punishment as a refreshing reminder that criminals actually still face consequences when they break the law here in the country.

"The Jackie Robinson statue is a cherished symbol of inspiration, not only for the youth who benefit from the many programs offered by League 42, but also for the entire community of Wichita. The sentencing of Ricky Alderete represents an important step in ensuring that our community receives the justice that it deserves," Wichita Police said in a statement. Alderete will now face 15-years in the slammer.

According to surveillance footage, Alderete and at least one other person were seen taking the 275-pound Robinson statue at night from the youth baseball field in what police believe wasn't a racially motivated robbery, but rather one for "scrapping common metals." Despite multiple accomplices, only Alderete has been arrested so far.

Jackie Robinson helped break the color barrier in Major League Baseball. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

NEW JACKIE ROBINSON STATUE TO DEBUT THIS MONDAY

Now I don't know a lot about scrapping metal, but there HAS to be a better way to do so than going through the trouble of cutting and dismantling a 275-pound statue, no? I guess that's why they say criminals aren't the brightest people, especially Alderete, who not only ran from the police but then broke into a random person's house and held them hostage for hours as well, before the victim was eventually able to escape.

Meanwhile, League 42 will have a brand new Jackie Robinson statue unveiled this coming Monday as Major League Baseball and a local fundraiser helped bring in more than $500,000 towards purchasing the new beloved piece.