STORRS, CT (WFSB) – A man was arrested by University of Connecticut (UConn) police for stalking and harassing a student-athlete after an investigation into his disturbing online behavior.

Robert Parmalee, 40, of Washington, was reported to UConn police in June after sending numerous emails referring to a specific UConn student-athlete as well as players from other schools’ athletic programs.

The emails raised concerns among UConn staff and prompted an investigation by a UConn detective.

In the emails, he confessed his love to student and basketball player Paige Bueckers and said he wanted to marry her.

Social media content and posts were also included because they contributed to a persistent pattern of harassment.

The investigation revealed that Parmalee had no direct connection to UConn, but further investigation and communications with law enforcement in Oregon, where he was living at the time, confirmed his identity and activities.

On August 27, 2024, Parmalee was taken into custody in Windsor Locks on an unrelated warrant from Oregon.

He was initially held for extradition to Oregon, but recent developments indicated that Oregon law enforcement authorities planned to drop the charges there, leading to his release from the Hartford Correctional Facility.

Further evidence of the harassment collected on social media over the past two months led police to obtain an arrest warrant and arrest him on Friday.

“We’re all fans of UConn sports, especially because we see the players every day and they interact with the students, so it’s scary that people take it too far,” said UConn freshman Bianca Giannandrea.

Parmalee is charged with second-degree breach of the peace, stalking and second-degree harassment.

He is currently being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Monday.

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