The Wichita Police Department has arrested the man responsible for stealing a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson last month.
Police announced on Tuesday that Ricky Alderte, 45, was arrested and charged with felony theft, three counts of identity theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, and providing false information.
According to reports, the statue was stolen from McAdams Park, a park known for acknowledging influential African Americans.
Police lieutenant Aaron Moses says that evidence proves that the theft was not a hate crime but instead a money grab.
He said, “We believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal.”
The community has since raised nearly $200,000 to replace Jackie Robinson’s statue.
Robinson is the first African American baseball player to make history in the MLB, paving the way for future African American ball players.
