Rebecca Grossman Has Been Sentenced to Prison for Manslaughter; Her Ex-Boyfriend Gets off Scot-Free

One moment, you’re a high-society socialite known for philanthropy and organizing charity events, and the next, you’re a convicted murderer sentenced to possible life in prison. That’s the life cycle of Rebecca Grossman, who made headlines after a 2020 hit-and-run that resulted in the deaths of two brothers, 8-year-old Jacob and 11-year-old Mark Iskander.

The boys were walking across a marked crosswalk in Los Angeles when Grossman drove straight through, not only killing them but failing to stop and check to see if they were alright. Throughout the trials, Grossman’s story has changed, at one point even blaming her ex-boyfriend, former MLB player Scott Erickson. So who is Erickson and did he have any fault in the accident?

The relationship timeline between Grossman and Erickson’s relationship isn’t totally clear, but he was her boyfriend during a separation from her husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, who is a prominent burn surgeon in the West Hills area. Allegedly, Grossman and Erickson were having a boozy lunch at Julio’s in Westlake Village when they decided to race home afterward.

There have been varying reports about what exactly happened, but the ultimate decision and Grossman’s eventual admittance of guilt proves that she initially hit the boys with her Mercedes-Benz. However, there was a time throughout the trial that she tried to pin it on Erickson, who was driving a 2016 Mercedes GL 63 AMG. Various experts argued over the evidence, but eyewitness accounts corroborated Grossman’s culpability in the boys’ deaths.

Before the scandal, Erickson was known for his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles. He grew up in Cupertino, Calif., where he played baseball, soccer, football, and basketball. But he was so skilled in baseball that after just one year of pitching at the University of Arizona, he was inducted into the Arizona Wildcat Hall of Fame.

Erickson was first drafted by the New York Mets in 1986 to their minor league team (just after the Mets won the World Series), but after his AA career, he was elevated to the majors with the Twins. When the Twins won the World Series in 1991, he was second in line for the Cy Young Award and led the American League pitchers in total game wins.

He was traded to the Orioles in 1995 and relegated back to the minors after some career-ending injuries in the early 2000s. He officially retired in 2007 as a New York Yankee. After playing, Erickson went on to coach several teams. He spent most of his post-baseball years with his ex-wife, Lisa Guerrero, who he married in 2004 and divorced in 2019.

But the fatal accident wasn’t Erickson’s first run-in with the law. In 2002, he was arrested and charged with second-degree assault when an argument with his ex-girlfriend, Lisa Ortiz, was loud enough to disturb the neighbors. However, the charges were later dropped upon investigation.

Similarly, Erickson’s more recent legal troubles led to a dropped charge. He was charged with a reckless driving misdemeanor in relation to the accident. However, he made a PSA about safe driving and the charges were dropped. But unfortunately for Grossman, all the culpability fell on her as she is now headed to prison for 15 years to life.