4 Fraternity Members Charged After Pledge Is 'Set on Fire' and Suffers 16 Percent Burns During Party ‘Skit’

Four fraternity members at San Diego State University have been charged in connection with a “skit” performed at a party that left one pledge hospitalized with 16 percent burns on his body.

Caden Cooper, 22, Lucas Cowling, 20, Christopher Serrano, 20, and Lars Larsen, 19, pleaded not guilty in court on Monday, Jan. 6. to charges related to the Feb. 17, 2024 incident, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. 

Phi Kappa Psi members Serrano and Larsen performed a “pre-planned skit” during which Larsen was “set on fire” by Serrano — the pair were pledges at a party thrown by the fraternity under the supervision of fraternity president Cooper.

Larsen was left with 16 percent, third-degree burns “primarily on his legs” from the skit and was hospitalized for “weeks,” per the release.

“After consuming alcohol in [Pledge Board member] Cowling’s presence, the underage students executed the skit which caused burns to Larsen on 16 percent of his body, primarily on his legs,” the San Diego County DA’s Office stated.

Larsen was transported to the hospital where he spent many weeks being treated for his third-degree burns, according to the release.

The San Diego DA’s office stated that Larsen, Cooper, and Cowling “made a concerted effort” to conceal their involvement in the incident and halt the police’s investigation “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.”

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All of the fraternity members, including Larsen, received at least one felony charge, including recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit an act injurious to the public, and violating the social host ordinance.

The defendants face sentences ranging from probation to up to seven years and two months in prison if convicted of all their charges. 

The students, who pleaded not guilty, were released on the court’s conditions that they do not attend any fraternity parties or take part in any further recruitment events for the fraternity, according to the release. The fraternity members must also obey all laws “including those related to alcohol consumption.”

A hearing over the charges is scheduled for March 18. A preliminary hearing date is set for April 16.

PEOPLE did not immediately hear back from San Diego State University when a statement was requested