Man Who Stole Statue of Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson Receives Sentence

Ricky Alderete was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for multiple cases, police said.

The Kansas man who pleaded guilty to stealing a Jackie Robinson statue from a Wichita youth baseball league and other related charges in May faced more than 19 years in prison.

The prosecutor’s office had said Alderete would be forced to pay $41,500 to League 42, the youth baseball organization named after the Brooklyn Dodgers legend.

Before being sentenced, Alderete apologized to the city, his family, and League 42.

“I let fentanyl take over me and made a lot of poor decisions. I am not going to deny that. I never meant to hurt anybody,” he said. “I am embarrassed, I’m ashamed. Whatever you do today I accept. I am ready for that. I believe I am where I am supposed to be right now because, at the rate I am going, I might have been dead.”

The league set up a GoFundMe immediately after the original statue was stolen. Less than two weeks later, the fundraising link has raised nearly $200,000. According to ESPN, Bob Lutz, League 42’s executive director, estimated that League 42 received between $500,000 and $600,000 in total.

“Early on it was very difficult, but time heals,” Lutz told The Wichita Eagle. “I was afforded an opportunity to meet with (Alderete) and it was a good conversation. I hope that Ricky has seen the error of his ways and I believe he does. I believe he’s genuine when he talks about his desire to improve his life. So I hope whatever punishment awaits him, he takes that punishment and is able to lead a better life.”

“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,” Chief Joe Sullivan said in a statement from the Wichita Police Department. “The sentencing of Ricky Alderete represents an important step in ensuring that our community receives the justice that it deserves.

“We are grateful to the members of the community and all of our law enforcement partners that made it possible for us to hold this individual accountable for the theft of the beloved Jackie Robinson statue.”

League 42 will unveil a new statue on Monday at Wichita’s McAdams Park.

“It’s been such a long process with a lot of different emotions,” Lutz said. “We’re going to celebrate on Monday. We’re not going to look back in the past, we’re determined to move forward. It feels really good to have Jackie Robinson represented in this way. It’s good to have it back home.”

Art Castings of Colorado, an art foundry 50 miles outside of Denver, reportedly created the replacement statue using John Parsons’ original mold. Parsons passed away in 2022 and Major League Baseball paid for the replacement statue.

Photo Credit: Kevin Lytle/The Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK

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