Four San Diego State University fraternity members are facing criminal charges after one of the young men sustained third-degree burns on his body during a skit performed at their party, the county District Attorney announced Monday.
The incident involving the Phi Kappa Psi members occurred last February, when the fraternity was on probation with the university due to issues of hazing and conduct that threatens the health and safety of students.
Prosecutors say three of the students — Lucas Cowling, Christopher Serrano and Lars Larsen — planned the skit for a party hosted at their fraternity house. According to the district attorney, the act involved Serrano setting Larsen on fire. Both were pledges at the time.
Larsen sustained third-degree burns to roughly 16% of his body when the skit was performed, largely concentrated along his legs. The 19-year-old spent weeks in the hospital to receive treatment for the injuries, prosecutors say.
Larsen and the other two involved in the skit, both of whom were 20 years old, reportedly had consumed alcohol prior to the skit being performed.
Yet after the incident, the district attorney alleges there was a coordinated effort by the three — as well as the chapter’s president, 22-year-old Caden Cooper — to impede investigators’ efforts, including deleting evidence and directing fraternity members to speak to law enforcement.