Kansas
Jackie Robinson statue was stolen from Kansas park to be sold as scrap metal: police
The brazen theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue in Kansas was not motivated by hate — but was instead committed by crooks who hoped to sell the prized sculpture for scrap metal.
Wichita police revealed the motive Monday as they announced the arrest of one of the suspects tied to the sickening crime in McAdams Park in which the statue was sawed off at the ankles and stolen on Jan. 25.
Ricky Alderete, 45, was charged with felony theft, aggravated criminal damage of property and other criminal counts as more thieves are being sought, according to police.
Less than a week after the theft, parts of the dismantled Jackie Robinson statue were found charred in a trash can in another park in what officials previously called a “heartbreaking discovery.”
“If you try to take something from this community, we won’t tolerate it,” Wichita police chief Joe Sullivan said in a press conference.
“I’m confident this is only the first arrest and there are more to come,” he added.
Alderete was booked into jail earlier this month in an unrelated case before he was charged in the statue theft Monday, police said.
The prized figure honors Major League Baseball’s first player to smash the color barrier when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
Police declined to say how many additional suspects they are seeking, but noted three individuals were at the park when the Robinson statue was hauled away in a vehicle that was later found by police unoccupied in an apartment complex parking lot.
Investigators believe the statue was stolen so it could be sold as scrap metal. The crime was not motivated by hate, police said.
“We are very confident that this was not a race-related crime,” Lt. Aaron Moses said during the press conference.
Wichita Councilman Brandon Johnson said Tuesday he was “really happy” that one of the suspects was in custody.
“I’m looking forward to the rest of them being arrested and charged,” Johnson said.
The community plans to put another Robinson statue up to replace the stolen sculpture with nearly $200,000 raised.
Robinson punched his ticket into the Hall of Fame in 1962 – the first black player to enter Cooperstown. The lightning-quick infielder, who boasted a .313 MLB career batting average, began his career with the Kansas City Monarchs as part of the Negro Leagues before signing with Brooklyn.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WIBW) – Argentina is set to face Algeria in Kansas City on Tuesday for the city’s first-ever World Cup match.
Argentina will take on Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium, which has gone through a makeover, at 8 p.m. CT.
Here is some information you need before kickoff:
SHUTTLE: ConnectKC26 is a dedicated regional shuttle network designed to help fans travel throughout the Kansas City region during the tournament. Shuttle routes, schedules, and key transportation hubs will provide convenient access to Kansas City Stadium on matchdays. Riders must have match tickets to board ConnectKC26 buses.
RIDESHARE: Designated rideshare pick-up and drop-off is located at Lot O, with a short walk to Entrances 2 and 3 at Kansas City Stadium.
STADIUM ENTRY: Stadium gates open three hours before kickoff. General and hospitality parking is set to open to fans one hour before gates open. FIFA encourages fans to arrive early to allow staff enough time for security screening, ticket scanning and entry before kickoff. Leaving and reentering the stadium is prohibited. In addition, smoking and vaping are not allowed.
GENERAL PARKING: Parking must be purchased in advance of the match on the Official FIFA World Cup 26 Parking website.
WATER BOTTLE POLICY: FIFA announced that fans will be allowed to bring one soft, plastic, factory-sealed 20-ounce water bottle into any FIFA match in the U.S. and Canada.
BAG POLICY: A list of prohibited items is available here.
FLAG, BANNER AND INSTRUMENT POLICY: Officials said small flags, banners and posters made of a fire-resistant material (maximum size: 2m x 1.5m / 78in x 60in) are allowed in the stadium. Larger flags, banners, posters or instruments must be approved in advance. You can click here to apply through the FIFA Fan Materials Request Portal.
Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The corpse flower at Winfield’s Southwestern College is blooming.
The college thought the flower would open last week, but forecasting the blooms in not an exact science.
The bloom date was based off when it last happened.
“We thought this one would behave also. It didn’t. It’s late. Just like a baby, it is late. So, this is our baby,” Bryon Rinke, greenhouse manager, said.
The greenhouse on the campus will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For those who aren’t able to travel to Winfield, a livestream of the event is on the Southwestern College YouTube page
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.
UPDATE 7:20 p.m.: MSHP has released an update on the incident, reporting that the person and the vehicle were recovered from the lake.
Troopers note that the individual is a missing person out of Kansas, with the Overland Park Police Department taking over the investigation.
Officials are working on identifying the cause of death in the incident.
The Southern Stone County Fire Protection District assisted in the incident with MSHP’s Dive Team and Drug and Crime Division.
Original story:
KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. — Law enforcement is on the scene attempting to recover a vehicle that is submerged in Table Rock Lake.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) tells Ozarks First that officials were notified of the incident around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, near Joe Bald Park in Kimberling City.
Authorities say at this time they believe there is one person in the vehicle, and cannot confirm how long the vehicle had been in the water.
MSHP reports that they worked to get the vehicle out of the lake yesterday, but the weather delayed the process.
This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
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