Authorities charged four San Diego State University students, including the injured individual, after a pledge sustained burns over sixteen percent of his body from a “skit” at a fraternity party.
According to a news release from the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Caden Cooper, 22, Lucas Cowling, 20, Christopher Serrano, 20, and Lars Larsen, 19, were arraigned Monday and entered not guilty pleas to charges that included conspiracy to commit an act injurious to the public, recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, and violating the social host ordinance.
The accusations are related to a Phi Kappa Psi party on February 17 that caused Larsen to sustain burn injuries. According to the announcement, the fraternity was placed on probation by the institution at the time of the celebration.
According to officials, all four of the kids were Phi Kappa Psi pledges and active members. Serrano and Larsen were pledges, Cowling served on the pledge board, and Cooper served as the fraternity’s president.
Phi Kappa Psi hosted a big party at their fraternity house, according to the district attorney’s office, and Cowling, Serrano, and Larsen “pre-planned a skit during which Serrano would set Larsen on fire.”
Larsen was burned on 16% of his body, mostly his legs, after the underage students performed the skit after drinking in Cowling’s presence. According to the office, Larsen was hospitalized for weeks in order to cure third-degree burns.
Cooper, Larsen, and Cowling were charged by officials with attempting to conceal the incident by lying to investigators, erasing social media evidence, and instructing other fraternity members to do the same and refrain from discussing it.
It’s unclear whether the students have hired lawyers to represent them. A request for comment on Wednesday was not immediately answered by the university or Phi Kappa Psi.
After being freed on their own recognizance, the students were forbidden from attending any fraternity recruitment activities or parties. On March 18, they are scheduled to return to court.
They could receive a sentence ranging from probation to seven years and two months in jail if found guilty of all the counts.
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