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A rich and powerful Los Angeles socialite was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Monday for the deaths of two boys as they were crossing the street with their mother and younger brother.
Rebecca Grossman was sentenced after being convicted of second-degree murder and other charges stemming from the Sept. 29, 2020 crash that killed Jacob Iskander, 8, and his brother, 11-year-old Mark Iskander, as they were crossing the street.
Nancy Iskander, a biotech executive, grabbed her son, Zachary, who was 5 at the time, and dove out of the way. But she and her youngest son witnessed the crash.
Rebecca Grossman, left, and daughter head to Van Nuys Courthouse in West Van Nuys, CA. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino rejected a request from prosecutors that Grossman be sentenced to 34 years to life, saying such a lengthy term is “just not warranted here,” Fox Los Angeles reported. He said the children’s deaths were an “unimaginable loss,” but he noted Grossman’s lack of a criminal record and philanthropic history.
Brandolino did, however, acknowledge Grossman’s “incredibly selfish behavior” after the crash but said “she’s not a monster as the prosecution attempts to portray her here.”
“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.
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A sign shows an image of Mark Iskander, 11, left, and his brother Jacob Iskander, 8, outside of Van Nuys Courthouse, where a preliminary hearing was held for Rebecca Grossman who is charged with murder and other counts stemming from a crash in Westlake Village, where Grossman’s Mercedes struck the boys in a crosswalk and killed them. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Our office pursued this case with the intent to seek justice for the victims and their loved ones, advocating for a sentence that would reflect the severity of the crime. We will continue to support the victims’ family during this difficult time,” he added.
Grossman, 60, had prescription drugs and alcohol in her system at the time of the 2020 crash, prosecutors told Fox News Digital. Although she was married to a prominent Los Angeles surgeon, Dr. Peter Grossman, she was racing her boyfriend, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, home from a restaurant. Each of them were driving Mercedes-Benz SUVs above 70 mph.
She never expressed remorse, Nancy Iskander previously said. Prosecutors said Grossman never returned to the scene and failed to aid the boys.
“I am not a murderer, and I ask you to recognize that true fact,” Grossman wrote in a letter to the judge. “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. Please consider this suffering when you consider what more punishment to impose on me in this case.”
Mark and Jacob Iskander were both killed when Rebecca Grossman sped through a crosswalk while racing home from a boozy date in 2020. (Nancy and Karim Iskander)
Grossman has already served 111 days in jail and paid nearly $50,000 in restitution.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.
