Jackie Robinson Statue Stolen from Youth Baseball Facility Found Burned, Destroyed

The Jackie Robinson statue stolen from a youth baseball field in Wichita, Kansas, last week was found destroyed Tuesday morning.

The Wichita Fire Department responded to a call early Tuesday for a trash fire at a local park and found pieces of the statue after the flames were extinguished, according to TMZ Sports. Officials determined that the statue was not salvageable.

TMZ Sports reported Thursday that the Robinson statue had been stolen from League 42's McAdams Park in Wichita early that morning. Surveillance video appears to show someone cut the statue at the ankles before hauling it away in a truck.

Wichita Police Chief Joseph Sullivan said of the incident:

"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."

"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."

Damages are estimated to be around $75,000, according to Meredith Deliso of ABC News. No arrests have been made.

Wichita council member Brandon Johnson said in a press conference that the city plans to rebuild the statue.

"We will continue to invest in this community, and this tragic incident will not remove that hope that we all have for the area," Johnson said.

A fundraiser has also been set up through GoFundMe to raise money for a replacement statue. More than $14,000 has been raised and the end goal is $100,000.

League 42, named in honor of Robinson, was founded in 2013 "to fill a void so that Wichita's urban children could have an opportunity to play baseball without the exorbitant costs of playing in organized or even recreational leagues," according to its website.

The league paid about $50,000 for the statue, which was installed in 2021, according to the Associated Press.

Robinson is a Major League Baseball icon known for breaking the color barrier when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 following a stint with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues.

During his time with the Dodgers, Robinson was named Rookie of the Year in 1947 and National League MVP in 1949. Additionally, he won the batting title in 1949, the World Series in 1955 and was a seven-time All-Star.

Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.