Vandals again strike League 42 youth baseball HQ in Wichita
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48685859/vandals-again-strike-league-42-youth-baseball-hqs-wichita
Vandals returned to the headquarters of a Wichita youth baseball league at which a Jackie Robinson statue previously was stolen, tagging it with graffiti in a string of incidents over the past several weeks, the league's executive director told ESPN on Tuesday.
Bob Lutz of League 42, which is named after the MLB legend and civil rights hero, said the incidents included graffiti on bleachers, a mural and a stone that honors league donors. A vandal crossed out "Jackie" on the stone inscribed with "Friends of Jackie." Lutz said he found books from an outdoor library, meant to encourage literacy among the league's players, strewn about.
"We were able to pick up trash and clean up graffiti," Lutz said. "But we're a little concerned that [the incidents are] starting to happen with more regularity."
A Robinson statue that sits nears the league's fields was reported stolen in January 2024. A prosecutor later sentenced a Kansas man, Ricky Alderete, to 15 years in prison for multiple cases, including the theft of the bronze statue that was cut at the ankles.
It's unclear who is responsible for the recent incidents.