Rebecca Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for a 2020 hit-and-run case. The incident that occurred on September 29, 2020, in the Los Angeles-area city of Westlake Village took the lives of two little boys.
Grossman was speeding when she struck and killed Mark Iskander, 11, and his brother Jacob, 8, while they were in a crosswalk.
Grossman was convicted in February 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. Despite prosecutors seeking a longer sentence of 34 years to life, Grossman will face a minimum of 15 years behind bars.
“The loss of these two innocent lives has devastated their family and our community. Ms. Grossman’s blatant disregard for human life is a stark reminder of the grave consequences of irresponsible behavior behind the wheel,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said.
On the day of this incident, Grossman was speeding behind the car of her then-lover, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, when she fatally hit the boys. While Erickson was not charged, Grossman’s actions led to the loss of two young lives, leaving a family and community devastated.
Nancy Iskander, the mother of the two boys, expressed her anguish during the sentencing, stating that Grossman had shown no remorse for her actions. In response, Grossman maintained her innocence, stating in a letter to the judge that she did not see anyone in the road and would have done anything to avoid the tragedy. “I swear to you, I would have driven my car into a tree to avoid hitting two little boys,” she said.
60-year-old Grossman’s philanthropic endeavors, including co-founding the Grossman Burn Foundation with her husband, Dr. Peter H. Grossman, stand in stark contrast to the events that led to her incarceration. The foundation, an arm of the Grossman Burn Centers, was established to support burn victims, yet Grossman’s reckless behavior on the road has overshadowed her charitable work.
Allen Castellano, chief of the county sheriff’s North Patrol Division, expressed hope that the decision would bring some solace to the grieving family and said, “This individual showed a complete disregard for the lives and safety of others in our community through her reckless actions, which ultimately shattered a family and robbed two children of their bright futures.”
