After a citywide search, the Jackie Robinson statue that was cut and stolen from McAdams Park in Wichita, Kan. last week has been located. However, the discovery on Tuesday was just bits and pieces of charred remains of the statue.
“It’s not salvageable at this time,” Wichita police spokesperson Andrew Ford said at a news conference via The Wichita Eagle.
According to the report, first responders were called to a trash can fire at Garvey Park (about seven miles from where the statue was stolen) in the morning, where they found the statue. It had been dismantled before it had been burned.
According to Police Chief Joe Sullivan, there will be arrests, and some individuals provided tips and even footage from a Ring doorbell from the original theft that took place on Thursday shortly after midnight.
Bob Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, took to social media to express his distaste for the act.
“You can steal the statue, but you can’t steal the spirit of what the statue represents!” Kendrick wrote on Twitter/X. “Disheartening end to the stolen Jackie Robinson statue has generated a Robinson-like resolve from the public for good to overcome evil!”
The statue was installed at the park in 2021 by the League 42 Foundation, a youth baseball league named after Robinson’s number.
Kendrick posted a link to a GoFundMe to replace the statue.
[The Wichita Eagle, Bob Kendrick]
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.