Fraternity members at San Diego State University have been charged after a pledge was set on fire during a skit at a party
Four members San Diego State University The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity is facing felony charges after a skit performed at last year’s party led to pledges being burned.
The burning member suffered third-degree burns covering more than 16% of his body as a result of the skit performed on February 17, prosecutors said.
Caden Cooper, 22; Lucas Cowling, 20; Christopher Serrano, 20, and Lars Larsen, 19, were charged Monday with at least one felony, and all four have pleaded not guilty. Larsen was a fiery person.
The charges include recklessly causing a fire occasioning grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to commit an act harmful to the public and breaching the social housing bylaw. If they are found guilty on all counts of the indictment, the defendants could receive seven years in prison.
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The four defendants were either active members or pledges of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Cooper was president of the fraternity and Cowling was on the Pledge Committee, while Serrano and Larsen were pledges, prosecutors said.
Larsen and Serrano, who were under the legal age to consume alcohol, also drank alcohol before the skit in Cowling’s presence.
In recent years, the university’s fraternities have engaged in activities that have prompted investigations, with at least half a dozen placed on probation in the past two years, according to the university.
In 2020, the university investigated allegations that a fraternity leader promoted blackout drinking. It comes a year after the death of a freshman who fell from a bunk bed and fractured his skull after drinking with his fraternity the night before.
Phi Kappa Psi fraternity was already involved probation by the university for violating his alcohol and hazing rules when the arson incident at the party happened nearly a year ago.
The party included a skit in which Serrano set Larsen on fire, according to prosecutors.
Cowling, Serrano and Larsen planned a skit in which Serrano set Larsen on fire, according to prosecutors. Larsen was in the hospital for weeks with third-degree burns, mostly on his legs.
After the incident, Cowling, Larsen and Cooper lied to the police investigating the incidenthe deleted evidence on social media and told other fraternity members to delete evidence and not talk to anyone about what happened, according to prosecutors.
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The four were released from jail and ordered to return to court on March 18 to prepare for a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 16.
They were also ordered not to participate in fraternity parties or recruitment and to obey alcohol laws.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
