Stolen Jackie Robinson statue found burned in trash can،
Firefighters on Tuesday found the burned remains of a treasured bronze statue of Jackie Robinson that was stolen last week from a public park in Kansas, authorities said.
Wichita firefighters received a call around 8:40 a.m. about a trash can fire in Garvey Park on the city's south side and discovered what appeared to be pieces of the statue, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. At a news conference Tuesday, he described it as “unsalvageable.”
The statue, cut off at the character's ankles, disappeared Thursday morning. It honors the first player to break Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947.
“If it turns out to be racially motivated, then obviously it's a deeper societal issue and that would certainly make the theft much more concerning,” said Bob Lutz, director executive of the nonprofit Little League which commissioned the sculpture. “We’ll wait and see what happens.”
League 42, named after Robinson's Dodgers number, paid about $50,000 for the model, which was installed in 2021 at McAdams Park, where about 600 kids play in the youth baseball league. It also offers educational programs.
The police spokesperson said that with the help of arson investigators, they had conducted more than 100 interviews. Surveillance video shows two people carrying the sculpture in the dark to a truck that was later found abandoned.
“Yes, it's definitely disheartening to see the remains of the statue and the shameful way in which it was violated,” said Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan, describing the discovery of the statue as a “direct indication pressure” felt by the perpetrators of the crime. the ongoing investigation.
He added that the police speak regularly with the prosecutor's office.
“There will be arrests, but we're going to make sure that when we do, we'll have a strong case,” he said, adding that for anyone involved in the theft, “it's only a matter of time.”
Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of black American baseball players. He is considered not only a sports legend, but also a civil rights icon.
Lutz, the association's director, said a new statue would be installed that would look exactly like the old one, made by his friend, the artist John Parsons, before his death. He said the mold was still viable and predicted a replacement could be erected within a few months.
“I'm trying to stay the course,” he said, adding, “The statue that reappears in McAdams Park will be the work of John Parsons.” He stressed that “we are ready to experience a little joy.”
The theft was discovered shortly before Black History Month. But Lutz said in an interview after the news conference that he hoped the motive was not racial, but that the thieves simply saw the bronze as having monetary value.
Council member Brandon Johnson described the statue as a “symbol of hope” and said donations for the replacement came from local businesses and an online fundraiser.
“This shows us now that we need a new statue,” he said of the destroyed remains. “We are no longer looking for a fully intact statue. We know we need to find funds to replace it, and we will.”
