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A wealthy California woman who co-founded a burn center in Los Angeles was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Monday for the hit-and-run killings of two children while they were in a crosswalk more than three years ago.
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 LA-area city of Westlake Village on Sept. 29, 2020.
“The loss of these two innocent lives has devastated their family and our community. Ms. Grossman’s blatant disregard for human life is a stark reminder of the grave consequences of irresponsible behavior behind the wheel,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.
Grossman was convicted in February by a jury 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, prosecutors have said. Erickson, was not charged.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 34 years to life. The 15-to-life sentence handed down by Judge Joseph Brandolino means Grossman will be eligible for parole after 15 years in prison.
The boys’ mother, Nancy Iskander, said at Monday’s sentencing that Grossman has shown no remorse to her for killing her two boys, NBC Los Angeles reported.
In a letter to the judge, Grossman said, “I am not a murderer,” and “As God is my witness, I did not see anyone or anything in the road. I swear to you, I would have driven my car into a tree to avoid hitting two little boys,” the station reported.
Allen Castellano, Los Angeles County sheriff’s chief of 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.
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
