Four members of San Diego State University's Phi Kappa Psi fraternity are facing felony charges after a skit performed at a party last year led to their pledge being set on fire.
According to prosecutors, the member who was set on fire suffered third-degree burns covering more than 16% of his body as a result of the skit he performed on February 17th.
Kayden Cooper, 22 years old. Lucas Cowling, 20 years old. Christopher Serrano, 20, and Lars Larsen, 19, were each charged with at least one felony on Monday, and all four have pleaded not guilty. Larsen was the one who was set on fire.
The charges include recklessly starting a fire causing serious bodily injury, conspiring to harm the public, and violating community sponsorship ordinances. If convicted on all charges, the defendant could be sentenced to seven years in prison.
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Wednesday, May 7, 2008, at Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity House at San Diego State University in San Diego. (AP)
All four people charged were active members or pledged members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Prosecutors said Mr. Cooper was the fraternity president, Mr. Cowling was a member of the pledge committee, and Mr. Serrano and Mr. Larsen were pledgers.
Larsen and Serrano, who were under the legal drinking age, also drank alcohol before the skit in Cowling's presence.
The university says its fraternities have engaged in activities that have led to investigations in recent years, and at least six people have been placed on probation in the past two years.
In 2020, the university investigated allegations that Frato University leaders promoted black drinking. It happened the year after a freshman who had been drinking with a fraternity party the night before fell from his bunk, cracked his skull and died.
Students and parents walk on campus on Transfer Day at San Diego State University, Friday, August 21, 2020, in San Diego, California. (Getty Images)
At the time of the arson attack at the party nearly a year ago, the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity had already been placed on probation by the university for violating alcohol and hazing policies.
Prosecutors said the party included skits in which Serrano set Larsen on fire.
Prosecutors say Cowling, Serrano and Larsen planned a skit in which Serrano set Larsen on fire. Larsen suffered third-degree burns, mainly to his legs, and was hospitalized for several weeks.
After the incident, prosecutors said, Cowling, Larsen and Cooper lied to law enforcement investigating the case, deleted evidence on social media and gave evidence against other fraternity members. He told her to delete it and not to tell anyone what happened.
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Hepner Hall on the campus of San Diego State University (SDSU), part of the California State University (CSU) System, on Thursday, July 9, 2020, in San Diego, California. (Getty Images)
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The four were released and ordered to return to court on March 18 for a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 16.
He was also ordered not to attend fraternity parties or recruitment events and to abide by alcohol laws.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
