A wealthy California woman who co-founded a Los Angeles burn center was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life for killing two children as they stood in a crosswalk more than three years ago.
Rebecca Grossman was speeding when she killed Mark Iskander, 11, and his brother Jacob, 8, as they stood in a crosswalk in the LA city of Westlake Village, on September 29, 2020.
“The loss of these two innocent lives has devastated their families and our community. Ms. Grossman’s blatant disregard for human life is a stark reminder of the serious consequences of irresponsible behavior behind the wheel,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.
Grossman was convicted by a jury in February of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one count of hit-and-run resulting in death.
Grossman, now 60, was driving a car driven by her then-lover, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, when she fatally struck the boys, prosecutors say. Erickson, was not charged.
Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of 34 years to life. The 15-to-life sentence imposed by Judge Joseph Brandolino means that Grossman will be eligible for parole after 15 years in prison.
The boys’ mother, Nancy Iskander, said at the sentencing Monday that Grossman had shown no remorse toward her for killing her two boys, NBC Los Angeles reported.
In a letter to the judge, Grossman said, “I am not a murderer” and “Since God is my witness, I did not see anyone or anything on the road.” “I swear to God, I would have crashed my car into a tree to avoid hitting two little boys,” the station reported.
Allen Castellano, chief of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s North Patrol Division, said in a statement that he hoped the verdict would provide some comfort to the family.
“This individual showed complete disregard for the lives and safety of others in our community by her reckless actions, which ultimately shattered a family and robbed two children of their bright futures,” he said.
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
