Military Vet Treated For Scars From DUI Crash, Not Combat

On Wednesday we reported on a local Palm Desert Non-profit Scars to Freedom. The organization helps treat military veteran’s scars. The story included a segment about the treatment of a soldier, Sgt. Ryan Frederick.

We were told by the founder Guadalupe Ponte that the soldier Sgt. Ryan Frederick’s scars were “From shrapnel I?m sure, the scars on his arm and face”. According to court documents that’s not the case, the scars are from a DUI crash. His girlfriend at the time, Jessica Bruce was killed in the crash, Frederick was driving. Sgt. Frederick told us in an interview after being asked if the scars are from the war, he said, “yes, well some, yea”.

Bruce’s mother, Wanda Stauffacher says, “I was shocked when I was watching it, Ryan didn’t receive those scars being a hero at war, he got them in the crash that killed my daughter.” The crash happened on February 21st, 2007 in Hemet. Frederick was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence. A judge sentenced him to two years in prison.

We called Sgt. Frederick why he answered the questions the way he did. He got the voicemail, but didn’t calls us back. We called Scars to Freedom and Ponte said she couldn’t give us a statement for two days. Scars to Freedom now says they knew all along the scars were from the DUI crash. If this is the case, there is no victim and no crime was committed.