A California Woman Sentenced for Hit-and-Run Killing of Two Children

A California woman who co-founded a burn center in Los Angeles was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the hit-and-run killings of two children while they were in a crosswalk.

Rebecca Grossman was speeding when she struck and killed Mark Iskander, 11, and his brother Jacob, 8, while they were in a crosswalk in the Los Angeles-area city of Westlake Village on September 29, 2020.

"The loss of these two innocent lives has devastated their family and our community," Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. "Ms. Grossman's blatant disregard for human life is a stark reminder of the grave consequences of irresponsible behavior behind the wheel."

A jury convicted Grossman in February on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death.

Grossman, now 60, was speeding behind a car driven by her then-lover, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, when she fatally hit the boys. Erickson was not charged.

Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 34 years to life. The 15-to-life sentence Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino handed down means Grossman will be eligible for parole after 15 years in prison.

The boys' mother, Nancy Iskander, told Grossman at Monday's sentencing that she has shown no remorse for killing her two boys.

In a letter to the judge, Grossman said that "I am not a murderer" and that "as God is my witness, I did not see anyone or anything in the road," the station reported. "I swear to you, I would have driven my car into a tree to avoid hitting two little boys."

Allen Castellano, chief of the county sheriff's North Patrol Division, said in a statement that he hoped the sentence would give the family some comfort.

"This individual showed a complete disregard for the lives and safety of others in our community through her reckless actions, which ultimately shattered a family and robbed two children of their bright futures," he said.