The Los Angeles socialite accused of killing two young brothers in a drunken hit-and-run was seen walking arm-in-arm to court with her husband — soon after it was revealed she was racing an alleged lover at the time of the deadly crash.
Rebecca Grossman and her plastic surgeon husband Peter Grossman were photographed walking out of the Van Nuys West Courthouse for the start of jury selection in her murder trial Wednesday.
The former magazine publisher faces up to 34 years behind bars on two counts of second-degree murder for the 2020 deaths of Jacob Iskander, 8, and Mark Iskander, 11.
Rebecca, 60, appeared tense as she clutched her husband’s arm while dressed in a modest gray sweater, white button-down shirt, black slacks, and a quilted-style bag.
Her surgeon husband opted for a tailored blue suit with a black turtleneck underneath and appeared calm as he took the lead in a quiet show of support, blocking half of his wife’s body from photographers as they left the first day of jury selection.
The socialite was allegedly speeding at 81 mph while racing her reported lover, former MLB player Scott Erickson, who was in another car at the time of the fatal collision, the Los Angeles Timesreported Tuesday.
Rebecca plowed into the two boys who were walking inside a crosswalk in Westlake Village on Sept. 29, 2020 — launching Mark more than 250 feet, investigators allege.
The boys’ mother Nancy Iskander and their younger brother Zachary, then 5, were almost hit in the crash as well, but managed to dive to safety, according to the LA Times.
Rebecca was allegedly following Erickson, a former New York Mets and Yankees pitcher, moments before the crash.
The pair — who were reportedly in a relationship — had allegedly been drinking at a nearby restaurant before the crash.
The court will be allowed to prove to jurors that the surgeon’s wife was in the midst of a love affair with Erickson at the time of the crash, according to a recent ruling by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino.
Rebecca, who blew a 0.076%, maintains that she did not hit the boys, but the boy’s grieving mother says that her and Erickson’s cars had “insane” speed before the crash, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“They were zigzagging with each other as if they were playing or racing,” she told the outlet.
Mark died at the scene, while Jacob passed several hours later at the hospital.
“They didn’t stop at the intersection. They didn’t stop when an 11-year-old was on the hood of the car. Nobody stopped,” said Nancy, who was seen leaving court today with her husband Karim.
Prosecutors also plan to show evidence that Rebecca had Valium in her system during the crash, which would have further prohibited her from driving.
Erickson was charged with a misdemeanor and his case was resolved in Feb. 2022.
His attorney was adamant that he was not involved in a hit-and-run.
The socialite also faces two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death.
Rebecca is currently out on a $2 million bond and faces 34 years in prison if she’s convicted.