Getty Image
UConn women’s basketball player Paige Bueckers may have gotten lucky after a man was arrested this week walking down the side of a highway in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
The man, who had a warrant out for his arrest in the state of Oregon on a charge of first-degree arson, had a very disturbing social media history focused on the Huskies star.
On Tuesday, fans of Paige Bueckers became extremely alarmed after one of them noticed the man had posted messages making numerous claims including one that said he was going to Connecticut to see Bueckers and that he would “sacrifice” anyone near her when he got there.
Hi I dont get on this app often but there is a man claiming to go to Storrs to see Paige. He has made many claims to "sacrifice" anyone near her for some reason. I am truly scared for her safety and the team's safety.
his tiktok is cole.parmelee
— jojo🇵🇸🍉 (@pbueckers_) August 27, 2024
tiktok
The man also, according to the Paige Bueckers fan on X, claimed to have bought a wedding ring, created a wedding invitation and made numerous other troubling comments.
One comment said he was coming to UConn to get Bueckers expelled from school.
In another post, he shared a photo of himself holding a ticket with the caption, “I’m coming to UCONN Paige Madison Bueckers, I’ll be in Hartford tomorrow morning.”
He also shared photos of himself posing with a large cardboard cutout of Paige Bueckers.
In another post, he wrote, “I can’t wait to get you in my bedroom princess.”
Further investigation by internet sleuths revealed that he had been posting threatening messages about Paige Bueckers for months.
The fact that this man has been posting threatening messages for months largely unnoticed, and he knew the names and locations of her family members, is SO concerning to me. Thank god he was caught but this could have easily had a very different ending. Get these girls security pic.twitter.com/LmyiZKO9g8
— CFP (@sportsfan6718) August 28, 2024
Like a whole fake relationship with her I PRAY the police don’t release him this type of mental illness is so dangerous pic.twitter.com/yB0R7d3EkY
— CFP (@sportsfan6718) August 28, 2024
Luckily, on Tuesday, the man was arrested by Connecticut State Police (CSP) before he could get near Bueckers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for the twisted statements he made about the basketball star, nor his traveling to Connecticut to stalk her.
“On 08/27/2024, at approximately 11:09 a.m., a Trooper assigned to Troop H in Hartford observed a male walking along the shoulder of Route 20 eastbound in Windsor Locks, which is a limited access highway,” a CSP press release stated. “In the interest of safety, the Trooper made contact with the male pedestrian, who was later positively identified as Robert Parmalee, DOB 01/04/1984, of Ritzville, Washington.
“During the course of the investigation, it was learned that Parmelee was the subject of an active arrest warrant, held by the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, in Grants Pass, Oregon, in connection with a felony charge of Arson in the First Degree. Additionally, it was learned that this arrest warrant was approved for nationwide extradition. Based upon this information, Parmalee was taken into custody and transported to Troop H in Hartford, where he was processed and charged.”