Nancy Iskander, mother of two boys killed by Los Angeles socialite Rebecca Grossman, denounces conviction

US News

By Nicholas McEntyre

The heartbroken mother of two young boys killed by a Los Angeles socialite in a hit-and-run crash said she felt like she had been “stabbed in the heart” when she learned of the killer's fate.

Rebecca Grossman was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life in prison for the murders of her brothers Jacob, 8, and Mark Iskander, while prosecutors demanded she receive the maximum sentence of 34 years to life in prison.

Nancy Iskander said Grossman's sentence was painful to hear as Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino handed down a lighter sentence, saying he had “lumped” the two boys together in the decision.

“The 15 for life was a stab in my heart,” Iskander told KABC. “In two different ways: the first was that he lumped the two boys together as if they were one. And they weren't.

“If you ask any parent, they will tell you their children are not the same person. They are different. They have two different personalities,” she added. “Especially children who had their whole lives ahead of them. You can't count them two for one. This is extremely unfair.

The two boys were killed on September 29, 2020, while crossing the street in Westlake Village with their mother and younger brother Zachary.

As the two older boys entered the crosswalk, a Mercedes GLE 43 AMG driven by Grossman fatally struck them before fleeing the scene.

“If (Grossman) had been maybe a little less drunk or maybe she had been a little careful, she could have avoided one of them,” Iskander said. “Jacob only needed one step, one step more to be exact, to survive and not get hit by his car.”

Prosecutors, who were seeking a maximum sentence of 34 years to life for Grossman, said the socialite was drinking with her then-lover, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, before the two clashed, reaching speeds of up to 81 mph before fatality. accident.

Grossman spoke directly to the grieving Iskanders during his sentencing hearing Monday.

“If I could only bring Mark and Jacob back, I would give my life. I am really sorry. I've wanted to talk to you for so long. I'm sorry that didn't happen. I didn't run away. My car turned off. My pain is nothing compared to your pain. I'm really sorry for what happened to you.

Iskander called Grossman's apology false, which made him want to get up and leave the courtroom.

“I will first tell you what made me leave my seat. I expected it to be her: not genuine, not real, not sorry.

Iskander said she stayed in her seat when Grossman begged her to stay, with the mother believing something had changed in her son's killer.

“As soon as she started talking, it was exactly what I expected. It wasn't real. It wasn't 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 blamed Grossman for killing her boys – and a part of her.

“When your child dies, you die. I have no doubt: a part of me is dead. And it died because of her. And I have to function and take care of the little kids while I'm half dead.

Iskander described the sentencing as “the hardest day of the entire trial.”

“I would compare Monday to September 29, 2020, almost with the same magnitude of pain,” she told KTLA. “All I can say about it is that I hope nine years is enough time for his heart to change. I’m not sure,” Iskander said.