VENTURA COUNTY, CA. — A Southern California socialite was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life in prison for hitting and killing two children at a crosswalk nearly four years ago.
Rebecca Grossman, 60, was driving her white Mercedes SUV at 75 mph in a 28 mph zone when she struck Mark Iskander, 11, and his brother Jacob, 8, in Westlake Village, Calif. on September 1, 2017. September 29, 2020. The boys were crossing the road with their mother and younger brother.
After the crash, Grossman, of Hidden Hills, Calif., did not stop the vehicle until the Mercedes’ safety devices cut off the fuel, prosecutors said.
In February, a jury found Grossman guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter and one count of hit-and-run driving with led to death. On Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino sentenced her to 15 years to life in prison for the two murder charges and three years for the hit-and-run charge, all at the same time.
The judge thanked the boys’ mother, Nancy Iskander, for speaking out about the family’s deep pain and unimaginable loss. No punishment will seem severe enough given the scale of the loss, he said.
Grossman – who has no criminal history and has engaged in philanthropic activities – was initially sentenced to 34 years to life in prison, which Brandolino said was not warranted.
Grossman was reckless, grossly negligent and engaged in dangerous behavior, he said. “But she is not a monster like the prosecution is trying to portray her,” Brandolino added.
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Family and friends talk about the Iskander boys
More than a dozen family members, friends, teachers and classmates of the Iskanders spoke in the Van Nuys courtroom Monday. They shared stories about Mark and Jacob, sometimes in tears, and talked about the pain of losing them both.
Mark, who dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon or a comedian, was quick to raise his hand in class or help his brother with his homework. He always had a new fact to share or a joke to tell.
Jacob admired his older brother. His favorite animal was a cougar and his laugh could fill the rooms. He was the protector, Nancy Iskander said Monday.
When Jacob died, Bodie Wallace lost his best friend, the former classmate told the judge Monday. Bodie repeated Jacob’s favorite joke and told Brandolino the name of Jacob’s favorite song. He cried when he heard the song, but what hurt him most was that Zachary Iskanders, the boys’ younger brother, had to see what happened, he said.
The night of the crash, Nancy Iskander grabbed her youngest son, closest to her, and dove out of the path of the first vehicle, a black SUV. She looked up and saw the white SUV drive past where her other sons had just been, she said.
Mark likely died within minutes, if not seconds, an expert tested at the trial. Paramedics transported Jacob to Los Robles Regional Medical Center, where he was later clearly dead.
Nancy Iskander talks about her sons
Zachary, 5 at the time of the accident, continues to struggle, his mother told the judge Monday. The night of the accident, Zachary heard the deputy tell his mother that Mark was dead and he saw the paramedics trying to resuscitate Jacob.
That night at the hospital, Nancy Iskander saw Grossman. Nancy Iskander was in the emergency room with Jacob and the doctors had just told her that he wasn’t breathing on his own. They asked if it was possible to disconnect the life support system, she said.
Iskander walked out in disbelief when she saw Grossman, who was taken to the hospital by police.
Grossman said she did not have a chance to speak to the Iskanders, but she did have the opportunity that evening, Nancy Iskander said in the courtroom.
“She looked me in the eyes,” she said, raising her voice from behind a podium. “This was your opportunity.”
The prosecution asks for the maximum sentence
Lawyers’ descriptions of Grossman differed dramatically at his sentencing. Prosecutors described Grossman as remorseless and lacking respect for the rule of law.
She never apologized or admitted guilt, Assistant District Attorney Ryan Gould said Monday. She blamed others and repeatedly violated court orders.
“It wasn’t a tragic accident,” Gould said. “This was a preventable murder.”
The prosecution had asked the judge to impose two consecutive sentences of 15 years to life and an additional four years for hit-and-run driving.
Meanwhile, Grossman’s lawyers described their client, the co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, as a mother and philanthropist who grew up amid hardship and abuse. They asked that she be given probation.
His actions immediately after the accident were consistent with those of a person in complete shock, his lawyer Samuel Josephs told the judge. He cited court rulings, saying she was not given the opportunity to express remorse to the Iskanders.
Rebecca Grossman: “I’ve never seen anyone”
Grossman, who did not testify during her trial, stood and faced the Iskanders as she gave her own statement Monday. She said she would give her life if it would bring Mark and Jacob back.
When she couldn’t talk parent to parent or mother to mother, she wanted to “leave this world,” she said.
“God knows, I never saw anyone,” Grossman said of the accident. After she finished, she sat at the defense table, sobbing with her head bowed.
Earlier, his lawyers released a video of his family and friends talking about his work with the Grossman Burn Foundation and his character. Her teenage son and daughter then stood together in the courtroom, taking turns speaking about their mother. Alexis Grossman, 19, told the judge her mother never had malice in her heart.
“Please don’t take me away from my mother for too long,” she said, crying.
Prosectors: Disappointed by the sentence
Outside the courthouse Monday, prosecutors Gould and Jamie Castro said they respected the process but were disappointed with the sentence. Grossman took no responsibility for what she did, even in her statement during Monday’s hearing, Gould said.
“We don’t think the judge handed down an appropriate sentence in light of everything Ms. Grossman did,” he said.
He went on to add that they were happy that justice had been served.
“I hope this allows the Iskanders to turn the page and move forward with their lives,” Gould said.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Contact her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260