The man responsible for the theft of a Jackie Robinson statue from a youth baseball league in Wichita, Kansas, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday, ending a saga that has made national headlines.
Ricky Alderete, 45, pleaded guilty in May to theft, as well as other charges. The Wichita Eagle reported Friday that the bulk of the prison sentence stemmed from an aggravated burglary case that occurred Feb. 1, following the Jan. 25 theft of the statue. Alderete was also on probation for another case when the statue disappeared.
Alderete was sentenced to an additional 18 months in prison for the statue theft. He was also ordered to pay $41,500 in restitution to League 42, a local baseball league formed in 2013 “to fill a void so urban Wichita children would have an opportunity to play baseball,” according to the league’s website. The league is named after the jersey number of Robinson, who in 1947 became the first black player to play in Major League Baseball after decades of segregation enforced by the league and its owners.
According to the Wichita Eagle, the league was inundated with more than $700,000 in donations, including one from Major League Baseball, after the statue was stolen. It was later found burned in a dumpster at another park. When Alderete pleaded guilty in May, Wichita authorities said the crime was motivated by plans to sell the statue for scrap metal.
League 42 plans to unveil a replacement Robinson statue this month.
(Photo of the Jackie Robinson statue that stood in Wichita, Kansas: Courtesy of League 42)
