American socialite jailed for his brothers' hit-and-run deaths

Socialite Rebecca Grossman was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for a hit-and-run car crash that claimed the lives of two young brothers.

Mark and Jacob Iskander, ages 11 and 8, respectively, were fatally shot in 2020 while crossing a road with their family in Westlake Village, California.

Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, was convicted by a Los Angeles jury in February on charges including second-degree murder.

During sentencing, the 60-year-old apologized to the family but insisted she had not seen the two young boys on the night of the crash.

His lawyers argued during the trial that the boys were first struck by a vehicle driven by Scott Erickson, a former Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star. They said Grossman was driving behind.

The court heard the pair had been drinking cocktails earlier in the day.

The explanation that Erickson's car hit the boys first was called a “ridiculous theory” by the prosecution, who also said Grossman was driving at almost twice the speed limit.

Erickson has denied any wrongdoing.

Grossman was ultimately convicted of two counts each of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, and one count of hit-and-run driving.

Before the judge's sentencing, the prosecution argued that she had shown a “complete lack of remorse”.

However, the judge rejected a request for a longer sentence, from 34 years to life, saying she was not the “monster” the prosecution had made her out to be.

Grossman could be seen crying during the hearing and said she would have rather “hit a brick wall” than hit the boys with her car.

She said her lawyers advised her against contacting the victims' parents – something the boys' mother disputed.

Nancy Iskander said she saw Grossman outside the hospital emergency room the night of the accident. “She looked me in the eyes!” » she said, according to the BBC's American partner, CBC News. “You looked me in the eyes. You knew they were going to die.”

Grossman co-founded the Grossman Burn Foundation with her husband, Peter Grossman. The organization exists to support burn victims around the world.