45-year-old man arrested in Jackie Robinson statue theft that was not motivated by race, police say

UNDATED (AP)- Police say a 45-year-old man has been arrested in the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue found dismantled and burned. Wichita police say Tuesday (Feb. 13, 2024) that the man was taken into custody in an unrelated case and charged Monday on multiple counts, including aggravated criminal damage to property. Police say they’re confident the crime was unrelated to race but that the motive appeared to be financial. Thieves cut the bronze statue from its base last month at a park in Wichita where about 600 children play in a youth baseball league called League 42. It is named after Robinson’s uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he broke the major leagues’ color barrier in 1947.