The president and three members of a San Diego State College fraternity have been slapped with fees after one among them was deliberately set on fireplace throughout a pre-planned skit at a celebration final 12 months, California prosecutors stated.
The Phi Kappa Psi members – Caden Cooper, 22, Lucas Cowling, 20, Christopher Serrano, 20, and Lars Larsen, 19 – are accused of purposely setting Larsen ablaze throughout a big frat celebration whereas the group was on probation, based on the San Diego County District Legal professional.
Larsen, who was additionally charged, was a pledge on the time and spent a number of weeks within the hospital receiving therapy for third-degree burns that lined 16% of his physique, prosecutors stated.
“The university prioritizes the health and safety of our campus community and has high expectations for how all members of the university community, including students, behave in the interest of individuals and community safety and wellbeing,” a college spokesperson stated in an announcement to The Publish.
The college positioned the frat on interim suspicion after receiving an nameless tip of an alleged hazing incident at a Phi Kappa Psi celebration on Feb. 17, 2024. The frat was already on probation on the time of the incident as a consequence of a string of hazing points, a number of retailers reported.
The establishment referred the matter to the DA’s workplace and has since launched an administrative investigation, the spokesperson stated.
Larsen, Cooper and Cowling deliberate the harmful stunt, by which Serrano was directed to set Larsen on fireplace, prosecutors stated, including that the underage college students consumed alcohol earlier than executing the skit.
Cooper was the fraternity president, Cowling was on the pledge board, and Serrano, like Larsen, was a pledge.
Prosecutors stated Larsen, Cooper and Cowling then tried to cowl up the incident by mendacity to police, deleting proof and instructing different frat members to do the identical if approached by regulation enforcement.
The frat brothers have been every charged with a minimum of one felony, together with recklessly inflicting a hearth with nice bodily damage, conspiracy to commit an act injurious to the general public, and violating the social host ordinance.
If convicted of all fees, the scholars may spend as much as seven years in jail, prosecutors stated.
They have been every arraigned on Monday and launched on the situation they not take part in any fraternity occasions or recruitment. They have been additionally ordered to not drink alcohol if underage.
All 4 males pleaded not responsible and are due again in courtroom on March 18.
