Man arrested, historic cannon recovered with significant damage after theft from park
A historic cannon that was stolen from the Spanish-American War Memorial at Central Riverside Park has been recovered with significant damage, police said Thursday evening.
They did not provide details about the extent of the damage.
A 37-year-old man from Wichita was arrested in the 2300 block of N. Amidon. He was booked into Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of felony theft, vandalism, possession of methamphetamine and warrants, Wichita police spokesperson Brad Wright said Thursday evening.
Authorities think the cannon was stolen about 4 a.m. Wednesday. Officers found the cannon about 5 p.m. Thursday at a home in the 2000 block of N. Woodland, Wright added.
Preliminary evidence shows that the monument was dragged north on Nims Street, which turns into Bitting. Blocks that held the cannon were found in the 1200 block of N. Bitting. Police thought a vehicle was used in the theft, but didn’t know whether it was used to drag the cannon.
Doug Ballard has lived in the Riverside neighborhood, near where the cannon was stolen, since 1979. He drove by the memorial Thursday and noticed something was off.
“I drove around the block, pulled up right here [near the memorial] and realized the cannon was gone,” Ballard said, standing across the street from the memorial.
He called 911 at 2:13 p.m. Thursday to report that the cannon was missing, he said.
The cannon has historical significance. Kansas soldiers, referred to as the “Fighting 20,” volunteered to fight in the Spanish-American War.
“The cannon – forged for the king of Spain in 1794 – was captured in Cuba during the Spanish-American War as a trophy,” Eagle archives show. “The intricate filigree design of the king’s seal is hand-carved into its muzzle.”
The cannon was captured in 1898 and was dedicated to the city of Wichita in 1900.
“The cannon is very, very unique,” Wright said. “It was captured by American soldiers and its value is priceless.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 5:53 PM.