Four members of a San Diego State fraternity face felony charges for an incident in which one of them, a pledge, was set on fire, causing third-degree burns that left him in the hospital for weeks, prosecutors say.
It's the latest chapter in the turbulent history of Greek life at SDSU, where fraternities have earned a reputation for dangerous, alcohol-fueled hazing. In 2020, a 19-year-old man died after hitting his head when his blood alcohol level was almost three times the legal limit. Then in 2023, a former student sued the school, claiming he was left in a hospital in an alcohol-induced coma while committing in 2021.
Now, Caden Cooper, 22; Lucas Cowling, 20 years old; Cristobal Serrano, 20; and Lars Larsen, 19, have each been charged with at least one felony for planning and performing a skit that involved setting Larsen on fire at a party, according to the San County District Attorney's Office. Diego. The students then tried to cover up the incident by lying to police, deleting evidence and ordering other fraternity members to remain silent and delete evidence, prosecutors said.
Charges filed against them include recklessly causing a fire resulting in great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit an act injurious to the public, and violating a local law that makes it illegal to provide a drinking environment to minors. They have all pleaded innocent.
If convicted, the men face sentences ranging from probation to seven years and two months in prison, according to prosecutors.
The burning took place as part of a skit at a Kappa Phi Kappa Psi party in February. At the time, the fraternity was on probation for violating university policy on alcohol, hazing and student health and safety, according to the district attorney's office and a disciplinary action letter from the school.
Cooper was the fraternity's president and Cowling was on the pledge board, while Serrano and Larsen were pledges, prosecutors said.
After drinking alcohol, the students performed the planned skit, which burned 16% of Larsen's body. He then spent weeks in hospital receiving treatment for third-degree burns, mainly to his legs.
The four fraternity brothers have been released from jail on the condition that they do not attend any fraternity parties or participate in any fraternity recruiting events. They were arraigned Monday and are due back in court for a readiness hearing on March 18, prosecutors said.
In 2023 and 2024, six fraternities were placed on probation at SDSU due to violations of school policies, including the unauthorized distribution of alcohol, according to the university website. Additionally, four fraternities have faced expulsions from campus since 2020 due to repeated violations of school policy, including those related to hazing, alcohol and drugs.
