Stolen Jackie Robinson statue discovered “dismantled and burned” in Wichita, Kansas

Police in Kansas are trying to find a suspect after a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson was vandalized and stolen final week. The dismantled stays of the paintings have been discovered Tuesday morning by the Wichita Fireplace Division when it responded to a small trash hearth.

Wichita police mentioned Monday it had situated the truck that was believed for use within the theft of the paintings, however added that detectives and officers have been nonetheless trying to find the folks accountable.

The life-size statue, which was erected in 2021 as a part of the Jackie Robinson Pavilion in Wichita, is one in every of simply 4 statues of the athlete within the nation. It was lower off from the ankles up and put in a pickup truck within the very early hours of Thursday morning, in line with police.

The housebreaking has sparked outrage from members of the neighborhood and League 42, the nonprofit group that put the statue up. Police aren’t but certain of the motive for the vandalism, and consider the perpetrators may have stolen the statue to salvage the bronze steel.

“I am pissed off by the actions of these people who had the audacity to take the statue of Jackie Robinson from a park the place children and households and our neighborhood collect to be taught the historical past of Jackie Robinson,” Wichita Police Division Chief Joe Sullivan mentioned Friday in a information convention.

“What troubles me much more is that the theft occurred simply earlier than the start of February, which marks the beginning of Black Historical past Month,” Sullivan mentioned, including that the timing of this theft might be thought-about within the investigation.

Bob Lutz, the founding father of League 42, mentioned in a press release on the fundraising platform GoFundMe, “As regulation enforcement searches for the statue and the culprits of this crime, we stay dedicated to our mission of offering low-cost baseball and training alternatives for our 600 children, ages 5-14. They’re as heartbroken over this theft as any of us and we’re decided to both restore the unique sculpture or create a brand new one.”