Four members of a fraternity at San Diego State University face felony charges after setting it on fire during a skit at a party last year, leaving him hospitalized for weeks with third-degree burns, prosecutors said Monday.
The fire occurred on Feb. 17, 2024, when Phi Kappa Psi fraternity held a large party at her home despite being on probation, court documents show. While on probation, the fraternity was required to “demonstrate exemplary compliance with university policies,” according to college guidelines.
Instead, prosecutors said, fraternity members planned a skit in which a pledge would be set on fire.
After drinking alcohol in the presence of fraternity president Caden Cooper, 22, the three younger men — Christopher Serrano, 20, and Lars Larsen, 19, both pledges, and Lucas Cowling, 20 — then performed the skit , prosecutors said.
Mr. Larsen was set on fire and injured, prosecutors said, forcing him to spend weeks in the hospital for treatment of third-degree burns that covered 16 percent of his body, mostly on his legs.
The charges against Mr. Cooper, by Mr. Cowling and Mr. Serrano include recklessly causing a fire with great bodily harm. conspiracy to commit an act which harms the public; and breaching a social welfare order. If convicted of all charges, they face a suspended sentence of up to seven years, two months in jail.
Mr. himself Larsen was charged. The San Diego County District Attorney’s office said he, as well as Mr. Cooper and Mr. Cowling, also tried to lie to investigators, deleted evidence from social media and told other fraternity members to destroy evidence and not talk to anyone about what happened at the party.
All four men pleaded not guilty.
The lawyers representing Mr. Cooper and Mr. Cowling did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday. The contact information for the lawyers of Mr. Serrano and Mr. Larsen were not immediately available.
The four students were released Monday, but the court ordered them not to attend fraternity parties, participate in fraternity recruitment events and obey all laws, including those related to drinking alcohol.
The university said Tuesday it will launch its own administrative investigation into the student and fraternity conduct now that the police investigation is complete.
After confirming the details, the dean of students’ office immediately put the Phi Kappa Psi chapter on notice of the temporary suspension, which remains in effect, college officials confirmed Tuesday.
Additional actions were taken, but the office said it could not disclose details due to student privacy laws.
“The university prioritizes the health and safety of our campus community,” college officials said in a statement, “and has high expectations for how all members of the university community, including students, conduct themselves in the best interest of individual and community safety and existence.”
At least a half-dozen fraternities at San Diego State University have been placed on probation in the past two years, officials said.
