A California socialite who cofounded a burn center in Los Angeles has been sentenced in her vehicular manslaughter case. Rebecca Grossman was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on Monday, June 10, 2024, for the hit-and-run killings of two brothers while they were in a crosswalk.
Grossman was speeding on September 29, 2020, when she hit and killed Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8. The brothers were crossing the street with their family.
"The loss of these two innocent lives has devastated their family and our community," Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. "Ms. Grossman’s blatant disregard for human life is a stark reminder of the grave consequences of irresponsible behavior behind the wheel."
In February, Grossman was convicted on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death. When she hit the boys, she had been speeding behind former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, whom she was then having an affair with. Erickson was not charged.
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Prosecutors were initially seeking a sentence of 34 years to life. The finalized sentence was handed down by Judge Joseph Brandolino, and means that Grossman will be eligible for parole after 15 years in prison.
Grossman wrote a letter to the judge ahead of her sentencing claiming that she "is not a murderer." She added, "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."
"My pain, my recognition of the pain the Iskanders suffer, and the pain I watch my family endure, are punishments that I already suffer and will for the rest of my life," she added. "Please consider this suffering when you consider what more punishment to impose on me in this case." Her husband, son, and daughter, along with about 30 other supporters also submitted letters asking for a probationary sentence.
When handing down the sentence, the judge also ordered her to pay $47,000 in restitution, saying she was "not a monster as the prosecutors portrayed her to be." The mother of the boys who died, Nancy Iskander, said at the sentencing that Grossman has shown no remorse for killing the brothers.
Allen Castellano, Los Angeles County sheriff’s chief of North Patrol Division, said that he hopes the sentence will give the family some comfort. "This individual showed a complete disregard for the lives and safety of others in our community through her reckless actions," he said, "Which ultimately shattered a family and robbed two children of their bright futures."
"She can be out in 7 years it's basically the same sentence as tax evasion after she took their entire lives," one person said.
"She showed NO remorse, guilt or shame," another person wrote. "Only self pity. She even used her own kids to defer her judgement forcing them to lie on her behalf when blaming the ex loverboy failed. She’s very heinous and deserves every discomfort she gets in prison."
