Thursday marks the second anniversary of a tragic hit-and-run crash that killed two brothers in Westlake Village.
On Sept. 29, 2020, a speeding driver slammed into 11-year-old Mark and 8-year-old Jacob Iskander as they strolled through a crosswalk with their family.
Authorities say that driver was 57-year-old Rebecca Grossman, who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, racing and fleeing the scene of the crime.
Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation and wife of prominent plastic surgeon Dr. Peter Grossman, faces two counts of murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and a count of hit-and-run.
Earlier this month, the defense team for the 59-year-old Hidden Hills resident asked for the murder charges to be dismissed, but a judge ordered her to stand trial on second-degree murder and other charges, the Thousand Oaks Acorn newspaper reported.
She faces 34 years to life in prison if convicted on the most serious charges and has pleaded not guilty. She has been out on $2 million bail for 20 months.
The Iskanders say they do not want her to escape justice using her wealth, resources and influence.
At a vigil in Three Springs Park — Mark and Jacob’s neighborhood playground — the boys’ mother, Nancy Iskander, revealed her anguish, courage and faith.
“Thank you Lord, thank you for Mark. Thank you for every smile he put on someone’s face when he told his jokes. Thank you for when he excelled at school. Thank you for Jacob,” she said.
Despite the loss, family and community members want to focus on the positive elements that have come out of this tragedy, such as a foundation created in the brothers’ names.
The Mark and Jacob Iskander Foundation provided financial and emotional support for underprivileged children, including orphans and foster children locally and overseas. In Egypt, where the family is from, the foundation has built an orphanage.