A robber who held up three UCSD students in March has been sentenced to two years and eight months in state prison. Brian Quinn Coats, 22, of San Diego, apologized to the students when he was sentenced June 2 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh. He received credit for 101 days in jail. The students were robbed of their cell phones, wallets and a purse while they were in Fashion Valley at 8:25 p.m. on March 7. Deputy District Attorney Jim Koerber said the students’ property was recovered. Coats committed the robberies with his girlfriend, Reynisha Ann Bransford, 24, of San Diego, who will be sentenced on June 23. They both pleaded guilty to robbing the students, conspiracy, robbery and attempted robbery of two other people at a La Mesa grocery store parking lot that night. Walsh also fined Coats $6,574. Coats was on probation at the time for felony vandalism and had been ordered to pay $6,500 to a smoke shop, Koerber said. Coats and Bransford were arrested after one victim provided police with a license plate of the getaway car. Bransford remains in jail on $100,000 bail. — Neal Putnam