Two arrested after student robbed at gunpoint

Police have arrested two men accused of robbing a male UConn student at gunpoint during an alleged drug transaction on Feb. 4.

Roberto Nadal, of North Windham, and Jonathan Cotto-Rubert, of Willimantic, allegedly held a resident of Brown Hall in Charter Oak Apartments at gunpoint during a planned drug sale and stole approximately $9,000 in property from him, including $6,300 in cash. Nadal then allegedly beat and choked the victim and threatened to kill him if he reported the incident, police said.

Police learned of the attack when the victim called 911 at 6:35 p.m. to report the home invasion and robbery. He refused treatment for minor neck and facial injuries, Major Ronald Blicher said. The victim told police he had arranged to sell a controlled substance to Nadal, an acquaintance. The investigation is still ongoing, police said.

UConn police arrested Nadal and Cotto-Rubert on Feb. 5 at North Windham Heights Apartments. Both men are charged with home invasion, threatening, second degree larceny, second degree breach of peace and robbery. Nadal is also charged with unlawful restraint, first degree burglary, two counts of strangulation, three counts of assault and criminal attempt to possess a controlled substance. He was held on a $350,000 bond. Cotto-Rubert was held on a $300,000 bond. Both men appeared in Rockville Superior Court on Feb. 6.

While the UConn community was notified via text message and e-mail of a suspicious incident on Saturday evening, police chose not to send out an alert about the armed robbery because they were confident the community was not in danger since they knew the perpetrators had left campus.

"The victim was targeted by the perpetrators," Blicher said.