Jackie Robinson Statue Stolen From Youth Baseball Facility
Jackie Robinson Statue Stolen From Baseball Facility ... Cops Investigating
A statue honoring baseball icon Jackie Robinson was stolen from outside a youth baseball facility in Kansas this week ... and cops are now searching for the scumbags who ran off with it.
Local police shared surveillance footage of the heist that went down at League 42's McAdams Park in Wichita early Thursday morning ... which appears to show someone cut the Robinson tribute at the ankles, put it in the back of a truck and flee the scene.
Wichita PD shared an image of what's left of the Dodgers legend's bronze figure ... just two feet standing on top of a home plate.
The station said the "community is devastated" over the vandalism ... and is calling on anyone with information regarding its whereabouts to come forward.
"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 can gather, learn the history of Jackie Robinson, an American icon, and play the game of baseball should upset all of us," Wichita Police Chief Joseph Sullivan said.
"What troubles me even more is that this theft occurred just before the beginning of February, which marks the start of Black History Month."
"Our city wants the statute returned. We also want the individuals who robbed our community of a treasure to be held accountable for their actions."
League 42 was created in 2013 to help children in Wichita learn the sport without worrying about high registration fees ... with hundreds signing up each year. Robinson's trailblazing career and breaking the MLB color barrier served as inspiration for the organization.
According to local reports, the league received permission from Robinson's family to erect the statue, which is part of a pavilion that was dedicated to the athlete in 2021.
