Appeals court panel upholds Rebecca Grossman's conviction in Westlake Village crash that killed Iskander brothers A state appeals court panel ruled Tuesday that Rebecca Grossman’s conviction for the 2020 crash that killed two young brothers in Westlake Village stands. The decision reaffirmed her guilty verdict on multiple charges, including second-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Grossman, a socialite and co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after being convicted in February 2024. The incident occurred on September 29, 2020, when Grossman’s white Mercedes-Benz SUV struck 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother, Jacob, as they crossed Triunfo Canyon Road with their family. Prosecutors argued that Grossman was speeding at 81 mph in a 45-mph zone moments before the collision. Data from the vehicle’s black box indicated she was traveling at 73 mph at the time of impact. The crash killed both boys, with the older brother dying at the scene and the younger one succumbing to injuries later at a hospital. Grossman’s defense team had sought to overturn her second-degree murder conviction, claiming the trial judge failed to properly define “implied malice” for the jury. They also alleged that her then-boyfriend, Scott Erickson, had struck the boys first with his SUV, though Erickson was never called to testify. The appeals court rejected these arguments, upholding the conviction. Sheriff’s officials described the scene as a three-way intersection without a stoplight. The family of six was crossing the road in a marked crosswalk when the mother heard a speeding car approaching. Parents attempted to shield two children, but the boys were too far into the intersection when struck.#rebecca_grossman #iskander_brothers #grossman_burn_foundation #westlake_village #triunfo_canyon_road
