WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - The fraternity linked to an alleged hazing incident in Sweetwater left two people seriously hurt has responded, saying the three men who were arrested are not current members, as new details continue to surface.
In a statement issued Tuesday, a spokesperson for Kappa Alpha Psi said that they have zero tolerance for hazing. The fraternity did not confirm the suspects’ connection to it beyond saying they are not currently members.
Authorities said the alleged hazing took place over a span of four days in early April, starting at a Sweetwater apartment, as part of Kappa Alpha Psi’s initiation.
Investigators said the beatings were so severe that one of the victims actually had to undergo surgery and is still recovering.
The subjects, identified as Marquez Christopher Pinder, Jared James and Elijah Dyous, were arrested over the weekend. The three men were all charged with felonies: attempted manslaughter, aggravated battery with a weapon and hazing with a weapon.
Investigators said that after the victims failed to answer questions about the fraternity’s history, they were “struck on their buttocks with a paddle and canes” and “were struck repeatedly.”
Authorities said the alleged hazing became more intense at a home on Southwest 183rd Street and 102nd Place.
The arrest report details severe beatings that caused the two men to bleed through their clothes, stating the “source of blood was from lacerations.”
One of the victims, a University of Miami law student, suffered severe injuries, including kidney damage, which required surgery and a skin graft because of all those cuts.
The other victim, a Miami-Dade fire rescue employee, also needed critical medical care, including intubation, for injuries that could have been fatal without immediate treatment.
According to the arrest report, Pinder, who is the Secret Service employee, was assigned as the Dean of Pledges, but the fraternity’s statement reads in part:
“This specific hazing incident involved grown adult (postgraduate) persons, and membership into an alumni (non-university) chapter. The arrested perpetrators in this specific incident are not active or financial members of Kappa Alpha Psi. They do not have an official affiliation with any chapter nor… any official role with the organization.
The Secret Service, for their part, released a statement that reads:
“The United States Secret Service takes seriously any criminal misconduct allegations involving one of our employees.”
As for Pinder, he is now on administrative leave. He appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer on Monday.
“No contact with any members of that fraternity,” said Glazer.
One of the victims is still dealing with mobility issues, and his quality of life has been impacted.
A spokesperson for UM said that this incident has no ties to the university other than the fact that one of the victims is a student of its law school.
As of Tuesday afternoon, two of the suspects still remain behind bars, but they are going to need to go on house arrest upon their release.
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