Rebecca Grossman is a California socialite and Grossman Burn Foundation co-founder convicted of second-degree murder in 2024. Learn about her age, husband, trial, and more.

Rebecca Grossman was once one of Southern California’s most celebrated philanthropists — a socialite, media executive, and humanitarian best known for co-founding the Grossman Burn Foundation. For years, her name was synonymous with charity galas, burn survivor advocacy, and high-society Los Angeles. That image collapsed on September 29, 2020.

When her speeding Mercedes struck and killed two young brothers in a Westlake Village crosswalk. In February 2024, a jury convicted her of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one count of hit-and-run driving. She was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in June 2024. Her appeal was rejected by a California state court in March 2026, cementing her fate and closing one of the most closely watched criminal cases in Los Angeles County history.

Quick Facts About Rebecca Grossman

Detail	Information
Full Name	Rebecca Gray Grossman
Date of Birth	June 14, 1963
Age	62 years old (as of 2025)
Birthplace	Texas, United States
Nationality	American
Profession	Philanthropist, Media Executive, Entrepreneur
Net Worth	Estimated $5–$15 million (prior to legal proceedings)
Ex-Husband	Dr. Peter Grossman (divorced following 2020 incident)
Children	Nicholas Grossman, Alexis Grossman, Zubaida Hasan (adopted)
Education	Texas Tech University; University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Famous For	Grossman Burn Foundation; 2020 Westlake Village hit-and-run conviction
Current Status	Incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility, Chowchilla

Early Life and Background

Rebecca Grossman was born on June 14, 1963, in Texas. Details about her parents and siblings have remained largely private throughout her public life, though she has spoken about a difficult childhood shaped by instability at home. Those early experiences are widely credited with fueling her later passion for philanthropy, particularly causes connected to vulnerable populations and healthcare.

She attended Texas Tech University, where she studied broadcast journalism, before later pursuing further education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her academic background gave her a foundation in media and communications that she would apply across multiple career ventures in the years that followed.

Career: From Flight Attendant to Media Executive

Rebecca’s professional path was unusually varied. She worked as a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines for a significant stretch of her early career, a role she maintained while simultaneously pursuing interests in journalism and healthcare marketing. She later founded Medi-Marketing and Associates, a medical marketing firm, and Advanced Laser Specialist, Inc., a company focused on laser hair removal and skin rejuvenation. She subsequently merged her company with Physiologic Reps, Inc. in Glendale, California, where she served as Director of Marketing.

In the media world, she served as publisher and editor-in-chief of Westlake Magazine, West Luxury Magazine, and Paragon Healthy Lifestyles Magazine — upscale publications that cemented her standing in Southern California’s social and business circles. Her career trajectory eventually converged with philanthropy after marrying Dr. Peter Grossman. Together, they co-founded the Grossman Burn Foundation, where Rebecca served as Chair and CEO. Under her leadership, the organization expanded globally, supporting burn survivors across developing nations and partnering with international medical teams to provide reconstructive surgeries and burn prevention education.

Marriage to Dr. Peter Grossman and Family Life

Rebecca married Dr. Peter Grossman, a renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon and medical director of the Grossman Burn Centers in California. Dr. Peter Grossman is the son of the late Dr. Richard Grossman, who founded the original Grossman Burn Center, making the family name synonymous with burn care for decades. Together, Rebecca and Peter raised three children: a son, Nicholas Grossman, a daughter, Alexis Grossman, and an adopted daughter, Zubaida Hasan, an Afghan burn survivor whom Rebecca brought to the United States for medical treatment and subsequently raised as her own.

The adoption was widely seen as a defining reflection of Rebecca’s humanitarian values. The couple divorced following the events of 2020. The family lived in Hidden Hills, California — a gated enclave home to numerous celebrities — and were regulars at Los Angeles charity galas, red-carpet events, and medical fundraisers. Rebecca was regarded as a well-connected and active presence in Southern California’s philanthropic landscape for more than two decades.

The 2020 Westlake Village Crash

On the evening of September 29, 2020, Rebecca Grossman was driving her white Mercedes-Benz SUV along Triunfo Canyon Road in Westlake Village when she struck two young brothers, Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8, who were crossing the street in a marked crosswalk with their parents and siblings. Prosecutors established that Grossman had been out for drinks earlier that evening with her then-boyfriend, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, and that the two were driving separately toward her home nearby when the crash occurred. Investigators found she was travelling at speeds of up to 81 mph in a 45 mph residential zone.

Mark Iskander died at the scene. Jacob died at a hospital shortly after. Their mother, Nancy Iskander, heard the car approaching and reached out to pull her children back, but the boys were too far into the intersection. Grossman left the scene. She was arrested and posted $2 million bail on October 1, 2020. The defense argued throughout the trial that Scott Erickson’s vehicle had struck the children first, and that Grossman had not acted with the intent required for murder charges. Prosecutors countered that her decision to drive at extreme speed after consuming alcohol — through a pedestrian crosswalk — constituted the “implied malice” necessary for second-degree murder.

Trial, Conviction, and Sentencing

After a prolonged legal process, a jury delivered its verdict on February 23, 2024, finding Rebecca Grossman guilty of two felony counts of second-degree murder, two felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one felony count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death. On June 10, 2024, Judge Joseph A. Brandolino sentenced her to 15 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The prosecution had sought a harsher sentence, expressing disappointment with the outcome while acknowledging it as a measure of justice for the Iskander family. Grossman, in a letter read at the sentencing, wrote that she would have “driven into a brick wall” rather than harm the children, and described the grief she said she would carry for the rest of her life. She is currently serving her sentence at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California. A civil wrongful death lawsuit brought by the Iskander family — parents Karim and Nancy Iskander and their son Zachary — was also in proceedings, with trial initially scheduled for January 2026.

Appeal Rejected: Conviction Upheld in 2026

Grossman filed an appeal in June 2024, with her legal team arguing that the trial judge had improperly instructed the jury on the definition of “implied malice” and that evidence standards had not been correctly applied. In March 2026, a three-judge panel of California’s Second Appellate District rejected the appeal and upheld the conviction in full.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman stated that the ruling confirmed the law applies equally regardless of wealth or social standing. The decision left Grossman with no remaining legal avenue to overturn her conviction, ending a years-long process that had drawn national media attention and become a touchstone in public debates about privilege and accountability in the American justice system.

Net Worth

Prior to her legal troubles, Rebecca Grossman’s net worth was estimated at between $5 million and $15 million, derived from her media ventures, marketing businesses, and her position within the Grossman family’s medical enterprise.

Her ex-husband Dr. Peter Grossman’s estimated net worth sits in the range of $15 million, reflecting his standing as a prominent figure in reconstructive surgery and burn care. Legal defense costs, civil proceedings, and the dissolution of her marriage are widely expected to have significantly reduced her personal financial standing. She no longer holds any active role with the Grossman Burn Foundation.

Final Thoughts

Rebecca Grossman’s story is a stark and sobering study in contrasts. For two decades, she built a reputation as a tireless advocate for burn survivors and a generous force within Los Angeles philanthropy. That legacy was permanently overshadowed by the events of a single evening in September 2020 and the choices that led to them.

The Iskander family’s loss — two young boys, Mark and Jacob, killed in a crosswalk in front of their parents — remains at the center of the story. Their names now live on through the Mark and Jacob Foundation, established in their memory to promote pedestrian safety and community awareness. The March 2026 appeals ruling closed the criminal chapter definitively. Rebecca Grossman will remain incarcerated, her conviction standing as a legal and moral reckoning that prosecutors, victims’ advocates, and the public at large described as long overdue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Who is Rebecca Grossman?

Rebecca Grossman is an American philanthropist, media executive, and co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation. She was convicted in February 2024 of second-degree murder for the deaths of Mark and Jacob Iskander in a 2020 hit-and-run crash in Westlake Village, California, and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

Q2: What did Rebecca Grossman do?

On September 29, 2020, Grossman struck and killed two young brothers — Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8 — while driving at up to 81 mph through a pedestrian crosswalk in Westlake Village. She fled the scene. Prosecutors established she had been drinking prior to the crash.

Q3: What was Rebecca Grossman’s sentence?

She was sentenced on June 10, 2024, to 15 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. She was convicted of 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.

Q4: Did Rebecca Grossman’s appeal succeed?

No. In March 2026, a three-judge panel of California’s Second Appellate District upheld her conviction. Her legal team had argued that the jury was improperly instructed on the definition of implied malice, but the court rejected those arguments.

Q5: Who was Rebecca Grossman’s husband?

Rebecca was married to Dr. Peter Grossman, a prominent plastic and reconstructive surgeon and medical director of the Grossman Burn Centers in California. The couple co-founded the Grossman Burn Foundation together. They divorced following the 2020 incident.

Q6: What is the Grossman Burn Foundation?

The Grossman Burn Foundation is a Los Angeles-based non-profit co-founded by Rebecca and Dr. Peter Grossman. It provides medical care, reconstructive surgery, and support services to burn survivors in the United States and internationally, including humanitarian missions in developing countries.

Q7: Where is Rebecca Grossman now?

As of 2026, Rebecca Grossman is incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California, where she is serving her 15-years-to-life sentence. A civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Iskander family was also proceeding through the courts.