A statue of baseball legend Jackie Robinson was stolen from a Kansas park last week. On Tuesday, the statue was found dismantled and burned in what authorities are calling a “disgraceful” act.
According to the Associated Press, the statue was stolen from McAdams Park’s League 42 youth baseball facility last Thursday, which was named after the number that Robinson wore.
When responding to the report of a trash can fire at Garvey Park on Tuesday morning, the Wichita Fire Department found pieces of the Robinson statue after extinguishing the flames.
“I’m frustrated by the actions of those individuals who had the audacity to take the statue of Jackie Robinson from a park where kids and families in our community gather to learn the history of Jackie Robinson, an American icon, and play the game of baseball,” Wichita police Chief Joe Sullivan said at a news conference on Friday. “This should upset all of us.”
Sullivan urged those involved in any way to turn themselves in. “Either way, we will be arresting several people for what they’ve done to our community,” he said.
A fire department investigation of the arson is underway, while a police investigation of the statue’s theft continues. The Wichita Fire Department is investigating the arson while police continue investigating the theft. So far, police said they have recovered the truck they believe was used to haul away the statue.
“We’re going to move forward here and not look back,” said the league’s director, Bob Lutz, at a press conference. “Today is a day where we know what’s ahead of us, and we’re going to confront that head-on.”
The statue cannot be salvaged, the league plans to replace it using the original mold, made by artist John Parsons, a close friend of Lutz.
“It will be a joyous occasion — unlike today, unlike the past five days,” Lutz said. “We’re ready for some joy. We’re ready for some happiness,” said Lutz.
The statue, installed in 2021, cost about $50,000, according to the Associated Press.
To help pay for the new statue, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up and as of this report, has raised over $119,000.