Rebecca Grossman Sentenced to 15 Years to Life in High-Profile DUI Crash That Killed Two Boys
LOS ANGELES (May 21) — Rebecca Grossman, a 60-year-old former prosecutor and wife of a prominent Los Angeles burn surgeon, was sentenced today to 15 years to life in state prison for a 2020 drunk driving crash that killed two young brothers, Jacob and Mark Iskander, ages 8 and 11, in a Westlake Village crosswalk. The verdict, reached after a widely followed trial, found Grossman guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, and one count of hit-and-run resulting in death. According to court testimony, Grossman, who had a blood alcohol level of 0.16%—twice the legal limit—was driving her Mercedes SUV at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour when she struck the boys on a residential street. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office argued Grossman demonstrated conscious disregard for human life, citing her decision to drive after drinking wine and taking prescription drugs. During sentencing, Judge Claudia V. Green stated, “The loss of two young lives is irreparable, and this sentence reflects the severity of reckless conduct.” Grossman, who maintained her innocence throughout the trial, addressed the court in a brief statement, expressing sorrow but denying intentional wrongdoing. The Iskander family, through victim impact statements, described years of grief, with the boys’ mother, Nancy Iskander, saying, “My sons had a future, and it was stolen in seconds.” The case has sparked national debate about DUI penalties and accountability for influential individuals, as Grossman’s husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, is a respected medical figure and co-founder of the Grossman Burn Center. The sentence concludes a trial that drew intense media attention, with court proceedings live-streamed and dissected on social media.