Pieces of Jackie Robinson statue taken from youth baseball field found burned in park trash can

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - Parts of a stolen Jackie Robinson statue were found inside a trash can that was set on fire in a Kansas park.

Police said parts of the statue were found Tuesday in a trash can at Garvey Park in Wichita. The park is located seven miles from McAdams Park, where the statue honoring MLB’s first Black player stood.

The statue was situated in a pavilion at the park, marking the gateway to the League 42 baseball fields. The youth baseball program was named in honor of Robinson.

The statue was cut down last week. Surveillance video released Thursday shows a truck pull up during the overnight hours and at least two people topple the statue and load it in the truck.

All that was left behind of the bronze statue was a pair of shoes.

Police reported on Monday that they had located the truck used in the crime. Arson investigators have now joined the investigation as Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan urged the suspects to turn themselves in.

“There will be an arrest,” Sullivan said. “But we’re going to make sure when we (make an arrest), we will have a solid case.”

League 42 founder and CEO Bob Lutz said that while the discovery isn’t the outcome he and the players had hoped for, they can now move forward. Lutz vowed that within a matter of months, an identical statue will stand in McAdams Park.

“This is not the result we wanted, but it is a result,” Lutz said. “We know what’s ahead of us; we’re going to incorporate a brand new statue that looks like the old one, and we’re already working on that.”

A GoFundMe has been started to help the League replace the statue.