After finding an apartment complex on Midvale Avenue, the brothers of Lambda Phi Epsilon at UCLA decided to host a housewarming party on September 22nd that would dually serve as a recruitment mixer for new members.
The party took a turn that night. Three students and four non-students were arrested in the early morning hours after a call was made, reporting assault involving a lethal weapon. A fight had broken out, leaving one student stabbed in the abdomen, another in the arm, and a third student hit over the head with a bottle.
The four non-students were charged with attempted murder and aggravated mayhem and one student was charged for being an accessory to aggravated mayhem. All five were also charged with added gang enhancements. Police had found evidence of the suspects having gang affiliations, although the fight was not believed to have been gang related. All suspects were declared ‘uninvited’ guests at the fraternity party.
The other two students found in connection with the fight and stabbings were released from custody in early October, after the district attorney’s office declined to file any charges against them.
Lambda Phi Epsilon is just one chapter apart of a nationwide fraternity that has a history of problems, one involving the Irvine chapter that was disbanded in 2007 for a hazing ritual that left a student dead. With recent events, this history further burdens Lambda Phi Epsilon with bad publicity, despite the suspects being uninvited and uninvolved with the fraternity, impairing the number of attendance at rush events.
According to a Los Angeles Times article, Robert Naples, associate vice chancellor and dean of students, announced that UCLA officials are still investigating to see if the fraternity, already on suspension from a past incident of another fight, defied any additional campus policies. Currently, no disciplinary actions have been taken yet.
by: Huong Pham
Comments are closed.