A judge sentenced philanthropist, socialite and former magazine publisher Rebecca Grossman for a 2020 hit-and-run crash that killed two young brothers in Westlake Village, Central Los Angeles, a prosecutor announced Monday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino sentenced Grossman, 60, to 15 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the deaths of the Iskander brothers —Mark, 11, and Joseph, 8 — Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced via a statement from his office. The court also reportedly ordered Grossman to pay $47,161.89 to the victims.
Grossman hit the Iskander brothers at an intersection in the City of Westlake Village on the evening of Sep. 29, 2020, Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station (LHSS) announced at the time. The boys were trying to cross the street. One died on the spot; the other in a hospital a few hours later, LHS added.
“While we respect the judicial process, we are deeply disappointed with the outcome of today’s sentencing. Our office recommended that Ms. Grossman be sentenced to 34 years to life in prison,” Gascón said, according to the statement.
Judge Brandolino rejected the prosecutors’ recommendation, stating that a 34-year prison sentence was “just not warranted here” and that the prosecution attempted to depict Grossman as a monster, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. Grossman’s first-time offender status and philanthropy appeared to be mitigating factors, although the judge conceded that Grossman’s “incredibly selfish behavior” caused “unimaginable loss,” according to the outlet. (RELATED: A US Diplomat’s Wife Appears To Have Fled England After Killing A Kid In A Crash)
Grossman’s then-boyfriend — former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson — was reportedly driving ahead of her during the traffic fatality. Grossman argued she was “not driving under the influence of alcohol or impaired,” was “not racing” and was “not a murderer.” Her attorneys said it all was a tragic accident and that Erickson’s car struck the kids first, the outlet reported.
Prosecutors said that the debris at the scene matched Grossman’s vehicle, according to the outlet. Grossman allegedly had taken alcohol and Valium, struck the boys while traveling at 73 mph in a 45 mph zone and did not stop to attend to the boys, they added.
The force of the collision was comparable to her Mercedes SUV falling off a 12-story building onto the boys, the prosecutors alleged, according to the Los Angeles Times. The prosecutors accused Grossman of “lack of remorse and narcissistic superiority”.
Grossman contacted the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and SpaceX after the crash because she thought an object fell on her car, the Daily Mail reported. She wrote in a letter, however, that she saw a a boy fall from the sky and onto her car, the prosecutors alleged.
Grossman — the co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation and the former publisher of Westlake Magazine — tearfully apologized to the Iskanders, according to Los Angeles Daily News
“Today the murderer of my 2 beautiful sons claimed she is a wonderful person, why? Because she anonymously donated 25,000$ towards their funeral! The funeral and burial of the babies she killed! I am sick to my stomach and absolutely disgusted,” Nancy Iskander said June 6 on Twitter.
Grossman initially faced two counts of vehicular manslaughter, according to the LHSS. She, however, was convicted Feb. 23 of two counts each of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence; one felony count of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for; and one felony count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death, according to Gascón’s statement.
