Georgia teen hospitalized after alleged torture, hazing

Georgia police are investigating reports that Trent Lehrkamp, 19, was forced to guzzle vodka and take mushrooms by a group of teens before he lost consciousness and was allegedly tied to a chair, urinated on and spray-painted, according to online reports and officials.

The Glynn County Police Department said in a press release Sunday that on March 21, they responded to Southeast Georgia Health Center around 10:40 p.m. after receiving a report of an alleged hazing incident.

Three minors allegedly dropped off Lehrkamp at the hospital and registered their names with the ER, the release says. 

Lehrkamp had spray paint on him and was being “treated for a high level of intoxication from a mixture of controlled substances and alcohol,” according to the release.

A Facebook post from an account calling itself Glynn County Citizens on Patrol shows a photo of four boys posing around a man who appears to be passed out with his head slumped to the side and covered in items and substances. 

One of the boys is flashing both middle fingers. The post identifies the victim as Lehrkamp. A second photo shows a man, also identified as Lehrkamp, on a ventilator in a hospital. 

“The Glynn Academy students on St. Simons Island are about to make national news,” says the caption above the photos. “These fine young men bound an unconscious and unresponsive boy to a chair, spray-painted him from head to toe, pissed on him, took a s— in his lap and the list goes on and on. Then dropped him off at the ER. Now he’s on a ventilator fighting for his life. This has all since been removed from SnapChat. Is this what our community has become?”

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY HAZINGS TURNED TRAGIC HAUNT CAMPUSES AS STUDENTS BEGIN THE FALL SEMESTER

School officials said some of the teens shown in the photo are current students at Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, Georgia. Comments on Facebook indicate that Lehrkamp may be on the autism spectrum. 

A 10-second video clip, also posted to Glynn County Citizens on Patrol Facebook page, shows Lehrkamp seated in a chair at night, his head slumped over, as a hose is trained on him. At least nine people can be seen in the footage as a teen faces the camera and says, “This is dude perfect!”

Katie Baasen, Glynn County Police Department public information officer, confirmed to Fox News Digital that Lehrkamp is the victim in the video, which she said is from a prior incident, but doesn’t know whether the same teens were involved. 

Police interviewed Lehrkamp Sunday at the hospital after executing search warrants on the residence on St. Simons Island where the incident occurred, and have questioned several teens that were involved, the release says.

A GoFundMe account, titled Justice for Trent, says that Lehrkamp went out with a group of people he thought were his friends who had picked him up from his home. 

“Trent wouldn’t know until it was too late that these were not friends, but vile and abusive perpetrators who would go on to torture, humiliate, and assault him in inhumane, terrifying ways for hours,” the post says. “He was dropped off in front of the ER doors. He was deemed inconclusive to life; only passing six breaths per minute. Since that evening, Trent has been on a ventilator in the ICU, battling fevers and a lung infection.”

“I’m sharing this to help support Trent’s family and the medical bills that will likely cripple them as a result of the tragic events that happened to Trent,” Keller wrote on the page. “I’m also sharing this to help bring awareness to the situation, as it has now been five days and still little has been done to bring justice for Trent and his family.”

TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL HAZING INCIDENT WITH HOT SAUCE, LAP DANCES SENDS STUDENT TO EMERGENCY ROOM

The fundraiser, organized by Erika Keller, had raised $29,587 as of Monday morning. Keller didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Several of the individuals who allegedly participated in Lehrkamp’s torture hail from prominent local families, sources told the Brunswick News. Many in the community have questioned whether this is the reason for the dearth of local coverage and lack of progress in the investigation, the outlet reported.

Glynn County Schools spokeswoman Brittany Dozier provided Fox News Digital with an email that was sent out to parents.

“We are aware of the allegations of an off-campus incident that involved several of our former and current students,” the email states. “At this time, the Glynn County Police Department is actively investigating this matter, and we are cooperating. Please know that we take very seriously all concerns regarding the safety and well-being of our students, both on and off campus.”

Lehrkamp’s mother, who worked as a school teacher, passed away unexpectedly in 2021 at the age of 43, according to her obituary. His father didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

The Glynn County Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact them via phone or email: 912-264-1333 or 911silentwitness@glynncounty-ga.gov.

Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.