Vigil held for young victims of Rebecca Grossman in deadly 2020 crash

Just two days after a jury in Los Angeles handed down an guilty verdict against Hidden Hills socialite Rebecca Grossman in the deaths of Jacob Iskander, 8, and Mark Iskander, 11, who were hit and killed in a crosswalk in Westlake Village in 2020, supporters of the family held a prayer vigil at the site of the deadly crash.

On Sept. 29, 2020, the two boys were crossing the street in a marked crosswalk with their parents and siblings at the intersection of Triunfo Canyon Road and Saddle Mountain Drive at around 7:10 p.m. when Grossman struck them, prosecutors said.

The vehicle sped through the intersection and hit the boys “right in front of the parents,” according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. Prosecutors said Grossman was going over 70 mph on a 45-mph street.

The boys’ mother was able to get her two youngest children — including a daughter in a stroller — out of harm’s way, but she couldn’t reach the older boys in time, according to Mirette Fouad, a friend of the victims’ family.

Mark was pronounced dead at the scene. His younger brother Jacob was taken to the hospital and died a few hours later. Mark’s body was found 254 feet away from the crosswalk while Jacob was found about 50 feet away from the crosswalk, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Mercedes-Benz SUV involved in the crash sustained significant damage to its front end.

Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation and wife of prominent plastic surgeon Dr. Peter Grossman, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after the crash but remained free on a $2 million bond until the Feb. 23 guilty verdict when she was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

At the vigil on Sunday, crowds of people gathered at the intersection of Saddle Mountain Drive and Triunfo Canyon Road for moments of “peaceful prayer.” The corner was lined with flowers, balloons and other items beneath photographs of the two young boys arm in arm.

Jennifer Nagel, a family friend of Nancy and Karim Iskander, the boys’ parents, said they have been overwhelmed with the support people have shown them during this difficult time.

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“Nany and Karim didn’t feel up to being here today. This is a really hard area for them to come to and Nancy really tries her best to not to drive this way,” Nagel explained. “She wanted us to tell everybody how much what everybody has been doing for them has meant to them and all the prayers and the flowers that people have left. That really touched her heart.”

A sentencing hearing for Grossman, who faces up to 34 years to life in prison, is scheduled for April 10.

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