A statue of baseball superstar Jackie Robinson is missing from a Wichita, Kansas, park and presumed stolen.
Wichita Police announced that they had security footage of a silver truck driving off with the Robinson statue from McAdams Park after two men were seen sawing the statue at the ankles Thursday. The feet were all that remained on the podium following the crime, which Wichita Council member Brandon Johnson referred to as a “disgusting act.”
The feet have since been removed from the platform, and city residents have laid flowers at the site. Robinson’s statue stood under its namesake pavilion near the League 42 Baseball fields.
“It is incredibly disgusting to me that someone would do something like this,” Johnson said at a press conference Saturday. “More than frustrated, I am angry to see that this has happened, and I’m hopeful that justice finds them quickly.”
Police are asking for help from the community to identify the suspects based on their truck.
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Robinson played baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League from 1944 until he became the first black player in the Major Leagues in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year award, capture the Most Valuable Player Award, and earn a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Currently, the Wichita Metro Crime Commission is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to arrests in addition to a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the statue’s return. The statue cost some $50,000 to commission and has been on display since 2021.
