By: Sammy Wang

In Kansas, Friday, August 2, 2024, Ricky Alderete was arrested for stealing a bronze Jackie Robinson statue. He justified the theft by stating his fentanyl addiction as the cause for his behavior.

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball; he inspired many people of color to participate in sports.

The Robinson statue was discovered without its body in January, leaving many people in shock of its new shape.

There were donations made for the broken statue, a major one being from Major League Baseball with $100,000 .

Alderete’s response in court was, “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. I am embarrassed, I’m ashamed. Whatever you do today I accept.”

Alderete was selected to 18 months in prison and was charged with $41,500 for his crime.

The statue was cut off by the ankles and found in a trash can. It has now been replaced with a higher base and security. Cameras are placed around the statue to ensure an incident like this never happens again.

“When you stole that statue, you didn’t steal it from us adults. That was for the kids to go over there and play and practice and enjoy the sport,” a local said.

Now, since the culprit has been captured, it is followed up with greater news. On Monday, August 5, 2024, the new statue is expected to be unveiled with guests like New York Yankees manager Joe Torre and 2007 American League Cy Young award winner CC Sabathia attending.

Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/04/us/jackie-robinson-statue-thief-prison/index.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtQ0DAXqQ2U