Sept 17, V7N - A 40-year-old man from Oregon, Robert Cole Parmalee, is facing charges for allegedly stalking and harassing UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers. Parmalee was arrested by UConn police on Friday, following a series of disturbing incidents that raised concerns for Bueckers' safety. He was arraigned in Connecticut Superior Court on Monday, where he is being held on a $100,000 bond.

The stalking incidents reportedly began in June when Parmalee sent a series of strange emails to UConn’s communications department, claiming he was part of the royal family and wished to marry someone from the Huskies’ women’s basketball team. He had also posted on social media about Bueckers, including a fake wedding invitation and references to proposing to her.

On August 27, Connecticut State Police arrested Parmalee after he was found walking near a highway en route to see Bueckers. He had also shared alarming posts on TikTok, including one that threatened violence if his wishes were not met. According to an affidavit, Parmalee had been messaging Bueckers on Instagram since February, though she had never responded.

In response to these events, Bueckers told UConn police on Friday that she feared for her safety, as well as the safety of her family and teammates. Parmalee is scheduled for another court appearance on October 22 and will be under strict pretrial supervision, including GPS tracking. Neither Bueckers’ legal team nor the UConn basketball team have commented on the matter.

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