California Socialite Rebecca Grossman Receives 15 Years to Life for Crosswalk Fatalities

 

Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, killed Mark Iskander, 11, and his brother Jacob, 8, in a speeding incident in 2020.

By Phil Helsel

In a grievous case that has shaken the Los Angeles community, Rebecca Grossman, a prominent figure who co-established a burn treatment foundation, was handed a sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment on Monday. This verdict comes in the wake of a tragic hit-and-run incident where Grossman, behind the wheel, fatally struck two young boys in a crosswalk over three years ago.

On September 29, 2020, Grossman was traveling at high speed when she collided with Mark Iskander, 11, and his younger sibling Jacob, 8, in Westlake Village, a suburb of Los Angeles. This devastating event has left an indelible mark on the victims' family and the broader community.

"The death of these two innocent boys has deeply affected their family and our community. Ms. Grossman's blatant disregard for life underscores the severe repercussions of reckless driving," stated Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón in an official release.

The jury, in a February trial, found Grossman guilty on several counts: two instances of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one count of hit-and-run resulting in fatalities.

Grossman, accompanied by her daughter, arrives at Van Nuys court on February 14. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images file)

Grossman, who is now 60, was reportedly speeding in pursuit of a vehicle driven by her then-partner, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, when she struck the boys. Erickson faced no charges in this case.

Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 34 years to life, reflecting the severity of the crime.

During the sentencing, the boys’ mother, Nancy Iskander, expressed that Grossman has shown no remorse for the tragic loss of her children, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.

In her letter to the judge, Grossman asserted, "I am not a murderer," and maintained that she did not see anyone on the road at the time of the accident. "As God is my witness, I did not see anyone or anything in the road. I swear to you, I would have driven my car into a tree to avoid hitting two little boys," she wrote.

Grossman co-founded the Grossman Burn Foundation with her spouse, Dr. Peter H. Grossman. This philanthropic entity is an extension of the Grossman Burn Centers, originally established by Dr. A. Richard Grossman, Peter Grossman’s father.

Allen Castellano, leader of the county sheriff's North Patrol Division, remarked in a statement: "This individual’s reckless actions displayed a total disregard for the lives and safety of others in our community, ultimately destroying a family and robbing two children of their promising futures."

A correction issued on June 10, 2024, clarified that Grossman co-founded the Grossman Burn Foundation, not the Grossman Burn Center as previously reported.