REBECCA GROSSMAN: 15 YEARS FOR MURDER
Mark Iskander, 11, left, and his brother Jacob were killed when Rebecca Grossman was drunk and "street racing her boyfriend, struck them in a marked crosswalk in Westlake Village in 2020.
Socialite Rebecca Grossman Found Guilty in Crash That Killed Two Young Brothers
By SNN.BZ STAFF
Los Angeles, California — A Los Angeles County jury delivered a verdict on Friday, finding Rebecca Grossman, a prominent socialite and co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, guilty in a tragic incident that claimed the lives of two young brothers. The heartbreaking crash occurred in Van Nuys, California, and left the community in shock.
The Incident
On a fateful day in September 2020, 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother, Jacob, were walking in a crosswalk near a Westlake Village intersection. It was then that Rebecca Grossman’s white Mercedes-Benz SUV struck the two boys. At the time, she was dating former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson and the two of them were racing their cars. Once Grossman hit the boys, she fled the scene instead of stopping to render aid, The only reason she stopped a quarter of a mile later was because the car shut itself off. Grossman would not cooperate with the detectives at the scene.
The Legal Proceedings
The trial revealed damning evidence against Grossman. Prosecutors presented debris found at the crash site, which matched her vehicle. Data from her car’s onboard system indicated that she was driving at an excessive speed of about 73 mph—almost twice the legal limit—just seconds before the collision. Furthermore, a sobriety test conducted after the crash revealed that Grossman was legally drunk, with a blood-alcohol content level of 0.08%. In California, it is illegal for you to drive if you have a Blood Alcohol Level of: 0.08% or higher if you are over 21 years old and 0.01% or higher if you are under 21 years old.
Defense Tactics
During the trial, Grossman’s defense team attempted to shift blame onto her then-boyfriend, former LA Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson. Grossman asked her daughter to testify in court that Erickson’s black Mercedes-Benz SUV had struck the boys first. However, the prosecution dismantled this theory, calling it “ridiculous” and presenting “not a shred of evidence” to support it.
The only image online showing Scott Erickson with Rebecca Grossman together, was in a photograph taken by Richard Gillard for the Thousand Oaks Acorn news site in an article written by Ian Bradley where the couple was photographed at a June 2020 fundraiser for Grossman’s charity (The Grossman Burn foundation) in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, California. The article goes on to say that Erickson was charged with a misdemeanor for racing his car with Rebecca Grossman but in due course, it appears investigators realized that Grossman’s car alone hit the children in the crosswalk.
Keep in mind that the Iskander family were walking precisely where they were supposed to be crossing the street (in the crosswalk – not the street) when Grossman hit the children.
While in jail, Grossman (fully aware that she was speaking on a recorded line) instructed her daughter to reach out to Scott Erickson and tell him “To confess” that he was the person that struck the children “first” and that she struck them second. Investigators found this accusation against Erickson to be false, hence he was not a part of the legal proceedings.
Verdict and Sentencing
The jury found Rebecca Grossman guilty on all counts:
- Two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence: Her speeding and impaired driving directly caused the fatal collision.
- One felony count of hit and run resulting in death: Grossman fled the scene, leaving the injured boys without assistance.
She was facing a potential sentence of 34 years to life in state prison. The judge sentenced her to 15 years instead. The verdict brought some closure to the grieving family, but their pain remains immeasurable because Grossman, while apologizing to the boys’ mother said that she was “sorry for what happened to you,” but took no responsibility herself for the boys’ death.
Family’s Response
“We’ve been waiting for this for 3.5 years,” said the boys’ mother, Nancy Iskander, after the verdict was read. “We are also super thankful for our prosecution. They worked tirelessly—3.5 years. They went above and beyond… They only cared about the truth.”
The boys’ father, Karim Iskander, expressed relief: “We can finally move on. We have been waiting for closure. Honestly, we have been waiting for Mrs. Grossman to apologize; to take responsibility.” Mrs. Grossman told Mrs. Iskander that while she was sorry about “what happened to you,” she did not take any responsibility for having killed Mrs. Iskander’s two sons.
The tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of drinking and driving. The community mourns the loss of Mark and Jacob Iskander, while justice has been served for their grieving family (but they feel the judge should have given Grossman more time).
MRS. GROSSMAN COMMITTED FURTHER CRIMES WHILE IN JAIL
While in jail, Grossman used a private detective to approach members of the jury at their homes. This behavior is now being investigated because it is a direct violation of legal protocol and against the law to engage in witness and juror intimidation. The act itself falls under the definition of JURY TAMPERING and WITNESS INTIMIDATION.
Also, while in jail, Grossman spoke very negatively about the jurors and the prosecutors. Grossman was aware that everything she said was being recorded – but went ahead and said it anyway.
THE WORK DONE BY THE GROSSMAN BURN FOUNDATION IS ALSO AFFECTED
It is heartbreaking that so much good work done by the Grossman Burn Foundation of which Rebecca Grossman was the spokesperson, cannot continue using Rebecca as the spokesperson (after all, she will be incarcerated for more than a decade for driving while drunk and having killed two children.)
After the tragic deaths of the two young brothers caused by Rebecca Grossman’s drunk driving, the good deeds she did for society in the past, while not invalidated, simply matter less.
Note: The trial took place in the Van Nuys Courthouse, where emotions ran high as the verdict was delivered.
