Internet furious as 'lowlife scrappers' steal Jackie Robinson's bronze statue from Wichita public park
WICHITA, KANSAS: Statues have long served as a distinguished means of paying tribute to individuals. However, social media was abuzz recently with the shocking revelation that the statue of baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson had been stolen by unknown perpetrators.
The announcement triggered a wave of responses from users, with many conveying their feelings and denouncing the thieves as 'lowlife scrappers'.
Jackie Robinson's statue stolen from public park
As reported by USA Today, authorities in Kansas are seeking public assistance in identifying the perpetrators of what they describe as "a senseless and heartless crime."
The police are investigating the theft of a memorial statue dedicated to Hall of Fame baseball player Jackie Robinson from a youth baseball field this week.
Robinson, renowned for breaking the color barrier, became the first Black individual in professional baseball in 1947, and played second base for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Kansas City Monarchs. He passed away on October 24, 1972.
According to the Wichita Police Department's statement, vandals targeted and removed nearly all parts of the bronze statue in McAdams Park on Wednesday night.
The Wichita police shared the distressing news on social media, stating, "Overnight, @League42ICT Jackie Robinson statue at McAdams Park was stolen. Someone cut it just above Jackie's shoes and hauled it off in a truck. Our community is devastated."
Overnight, @League42ICT Jackie Robinson statue at McAdams Park was stolen. Someone cut it just above Jackie's shoes and hauled it off in a truck. Our community is devastated. pic.twitter.com/MWbJvwga0k
— Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) January 25, 2024
Video surveillance revealed that only the statue's shoes remained at the crime scene, as per USA Today. The Wichita police, via a Facebook post, shared an image of the truck believed to be connected to the crime, a silver SUV with four doors and an extended cab.
In the post, the Wichita police wrote, "⚠️COMMUNITY HELP - We need your help locating the Jackie Robinson statue STOLEN overnight from the League 42 Baseball fields at 17th St N and Ohio! This is OUR time to come together as a community to find out who would do such a horrible thing to OUR community."
The police added, "If you have any information on this senseless and heartless crime, we ask that you submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers! The truck pictured below is wanted in connection with this theft. If you know who owns or may be driving this vehicle, please contact the Wichita Police immediately."
Internet users call out the thieves who stole Jackie Robinson's statue
A user wrote, "That's terrible!"
Another user wrote, "That is desrespectful and disgusting"
A user called out the unknown thieves and wrote, "Lowlife scrappers."
Another user commented, "Horrible 😭"
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.