Mom of 2 boys killed by LA socialite Rebecca Grossman decries sentencing, believes judge ‘lumped’ kids together
The heartbroken mother of the two young boys whom an LA socialite killed in a hit-and-run crash said it felt as if she was “stabbed in the heart” when she learned the murderer’s fate.
Rebecca Grossman was sentenced on Monday to 15 years to life in prison for killing brothers Jacob, 8, and Mark Iskander, while prosecutors demanded she receive the maximum sentence of 34 years to life in state prison.
Nancy Iskander said Grossman’s sentence was painful to listen to as Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino gave a lighter sentence, believing he “lumped” the two boys together in the ruling.
“The 15 to life was a stab in my heart,” Iskander told KABC. “In two different ways: The first way was that he lumped both boys as if they were one. And they were not.”
“If you ask any parent, they will tell you their kids are not the same person. They’re different. They have two different personalities,” she added. “Especially kids who had their whole lives in front of them. You can’t count them two for one. It’s extremely unfair.”
The two boys were killed on September 29, 2020, when they were crossing the street in Westlake Village with their mother and younger brother, Zachary.
As the two older boys stepped into the crosswalk, a Mercedes GLE 43 AMG driven by Grossman fatally crashed into them before fleeing.
“Had (Grossman) been maybe a little less drunk or maybe paying attention a little bit, she could’ve avoided one of them,” Iskander said. “Jacob only needed one step, one more step exactly to survive and not be hit by her car.”
Prosecutors, who were seeking the maximum 34 years to life for Grossman, say the socialite was out drinking with her then-lover, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, before the two raced each other, reaching speeds up to 81 mph before the fatal crash.
Grossman spoke directly to the grieving Iskanders during her sentencing hearing on Monday.
“If I could just bring Mark and Jacob back, I would give my life. I am so, so sorry. I’ve wanted to talk to you for so long. I’m sorry that did not happen. I didn’t flee. My car turned off. My pain is nothing compared to your pain. I’m so sorry for what happened to you.”
Iskander slammed Grossman’s apology as fake, adding it made her want to get up and leave the courtroom.
“I’ll first tell you what made me leave my seat. I expected her to be her: not genuine, not true, not sorry.”
Iskander said she remained in her seat when Grossman begged her to stay, with the mother thinking something changed in her son’s killer.
“As soon as she started talking, it was exactly what I expected. It was not real. It was not ‘I’m sorry I killed them.’ It was ‘I’m sorry for your loss,'” Iskander said.
Grossman, 60, is eligible for parole in nine years and was also ordered to pay $47,161.89 in restitution.
Iskander faulted Grossman for killing her boys — and a part of her.
“When your child dies, you die. I have no doubt: Part of me is dead. And it’s dead because of her. And I have to function and take care of little kids while I’m half-dead.”
Iskander described the sentencing as the “hardest day of the whole trial.”
“I would compare Monday to September 29, 2020, almost to the same extent of pain,” she told KTLA. “All I can say about that is that I hope nine years is enough time for her heart to change. I’m not sure.”
