Nine would-be fraternity members at the University of Colorado were arrested after police say they heavily damaged a hotel room that was being used for a bonding session, resulting in the suspension of CU’s Delta Chi chapter.
Ten pledges had originally been dropped off at the Super 8 Motel by older fraternity members, according to Estes Park Police Det. Rick Life.
“One of the pledges saw what was going on and said, ‘I don’t want to have anything to do with this,’ and he left,” Life said. “He’s not in any kind of trouble. He had some wisdom with him.”
Police responded at 2:30 a.m. Sunday to complaints about a loud party, and found a keg and hard liquor in the room, as well as “an extreme amount of damage.”
“There was a three foot by one-and-a-half foot hole in the wall, debris all around, broken tables. There was a gas heating unit that was ripped from the wall, and the gas lines crimped when that happened. Otherwise we could have had a larger problem,” said Life.
Life said the television was face down, ceiling fans had been ripped apart, lamps destroyed and shower curtains from both of the unit’s bathrooms had been torn off.
Phones were broken, molding was splintered, mirrors shattered, and vomit and blood were everywhere.
The pledges face charges of underage drinking and criminal mischief. Life said the destruction, which totals more than $1,000, is a felony, but no hazing charges were being contemplated.
“I think the older ones told them to come on up, and get to know each other, and unfortunately they ended up in handcuffs together,” Life said.
All those arrested were under 21. The Larimer County Sheriff’s office identified them as Britt Cherster, Andrew Sapiro, William Martin, Anthony Cronin, Kyle Jungels, Matthew Bowen, Kyle Maltz, Nicholas Mortimer, and Lucas Feyh.
“What they did was incredible destruction to the room … serious damage brings serious consequences,” said Life.
The national headquarters of Delta Chi Fraternity suspended the University of Colorado-Boulder chapter following the arrests.
No one could be reached for comment at the Delta Chi fraternity headquarters in Iowa City, Iowa.
