The Wichita (Kansas) Police Department say an arrest has been made nearly three weeks after a Jackie Robinson statue was stolen from a park -- and subsequently found dismantled days later.
Ricky Alderete, 45, is charged with felony theft (value over $25,000), aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft and making false information.
\"The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime,\" Aaron Moses of the Wichita Police Department said. \"We believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal.\"
The statue was cut at its ankles, leaving only bronze replicas of Robinson\'s cleats behind on an otherwise barren pedestal.
Tony Workman, general manager of Art Castings of Colorado, which made the original work into the bronze statue, told ESPN that the Robinson statue was 95% copper.