4 fraternity members charged after pledge set on fire during party ‘skit’ and suffers 3rd-degree burns

Four members of a college fraternity in California are facing charges after a pledge was set on fire during a party, according to authorities.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement released Monday that four members of a San Diego State University fraternity have been criminally charged for an alleged “skit” that resulted in a pledge being set on fire.

San Diego State University put the fraternity on an interim suspension.

Caden Cooper, 22; Lucas Cowling, 20; Christopher Serrano, 20; and Lars Larsen, 19, were all charged with recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit an act injurious to the public, and violating the social host ordinance. If found guilty of all the charges, the defendants face a maximum sentence of seven years and two months in prison.

The court imposed several conditions on the suspects, including not participating in any fraternity parties, not participating in any recruitment events for the frat, and obeying all laws, especially those related to illegal alcohol consumption.

The San Diego District Attorney’s Office said the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity threw a large party at its frat house on the night of Feb. 17, 2024. The fraternity threw the party despite the university having placed the frat on probation for violating policies on alcohol and hazing, according to Fox News.

Cowling, Serrano, and Larsen had “pre-planned a skit during which Serrano would set Larsen on fire,” according to the DA.

At some point, the “skit” got out of hand, and Larsen reportedly suffered burns on 16% of his body, primarily on his legs. Larsen spent weeks in the hospital for treatment of third-degree burns.

Cooper was the frat’s president, Cowling was on the pledge board, and Larsen and Serrano were pledges.

Larsen and Serrano were not of legal drinking age at the time of the incident but allegedly drank alcohol before the skit in Cowling’s presence.

The district attorney accused Cooper, Cowling, and Larson of making a “concerted effort to thwart law enforcement’s efforts to investigate the incident by lying to law enforcement personnel, deleting evidence on social media, and instructing other fraternity members to delete evidence and not speak to anyone about the incident.”

San Diego State University said it received an anonymous tip regarding the incident and then alerted university police.

The school launched an administrative investigation that “addresses both individual student conduct and the conduct of the organization involved.”

San Diego State University put the fraternity on an interim suspension, which will temporarily halt all organizational activities while an investigation is conducted.

“The university has taken additional actions, but because of student privacy laws, those actions can not be disclosed,” the school said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity on Wednesday did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.

The defendants are scheduled to appear at a readiness hearing on March 18. A preliminary hearing is set for April 16.

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