Jackie Robinson Statue Thief Pleads Guilty, Facing 19 Years In Prison
The 45-year-old man who stole and destroyed a Jackie Robinson statue in Kansas pled guilty on Thursday to multiple charges, including theft, and is now facing over 19 years behind bars!
Remember, the large Jackie statue was stolen on January 25 from a youth baseball park in Wichita, KS … only to be found burned and destroyed days later at a nearby park.
Multiple people were captured on surveillance video taking the statue, but only one person, Ricky Alderete, has been arrested and charged.
Now, Alderete could be headed away for nearly two decades, after admitting his role in the crime in court this week.
Prosecutors say Alderete pled guilty to aggravated burglary, aggravated criminal damage to property, interference with law enforcement, criminal damage to property, theft, making a false writing, and identity theft.
Authorities have said they don’t believe the incident was racially motivated.
Wichita Police Department
All told, Alderete could be sentenced to 19 years and 1 month in prison … and could also be forced to pay League 42 (where the statue was taken) over $41k.
The statue was purchased by the league for around $50k, per the Associated Press, and installed in 2021.
After the statue was stolen and destroyed, a GoFundMe was started … and ultimately raised over $194k!
Alderete will learn his fate in a Kansas courtroom on July 1.