4 San Diego State University fraternity members charged for alleged skit | Trending now

Four members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at San Diego State University entered not guilty pleas on Monday to criminal charges related to an incident in which one of the defendants was reportedly set on fire, resulting in third-degree burns.

The incident allegedly occurred during a party at the fraternity house on February 17 of the previous year, where the defendants purportedly orchestrated a plan for one of the pledges to ignite another.

As reported by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the fire caused burns covering approximately 16% of the pledge’s body, primarily affecting his legs.

The defendants—Caden Cooper, 22; Lucas Cowling, 20; Christopher Serrano, 20; and Lars Larsen, 19—were arraigned on charges that include recklessly causing a fire resulting in great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit an act harmful to the public, and violating the social host ordinance.

If found guilty on all counts, the defendants could face penalties ranging from probation to a maximum of seven years and two months in state prison.

Prosecutors have identified Cooper as the fraternity president, Cowling as a member of the pledge board, and Serrano and Larsen as pledges. Authorities indicated that the skit central to the case involved Serrano igniting Larsen.

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

Additionally, prosecutors allege that Cooper, Cowling, and Larsen provided false statements to law enforcement, deleted incriminating evidence from social media, and encouraged other fraternity members to do the same.

The fraternity was under probation by the university at the time the party occurred, although the reasons for this status were not specified.

After the arraignment on Monday at San Diego, all four defendants are currently free on their own recognizance, yet they are required to adhere to certain release conditions, which prohibit them from participating in fraternity parties or recruitment events.

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