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California mom who watched rich and powerful 'narcissist' mow down her two sons makes promise to killer

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California mom who watched rich and powerful 'narcissist' mow down her two sons makes promise to killer

The mother of two California boys who were killed by a rich and powerful socialite who blew through a crosswalk in a speeding Mercedes has vowed to confront the convicted murderer in prison in the hope that she will someday show remorse after what critics call a lenient sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

“My plan is to give her a visit in prison, in a few months or maybe a year, and I will ask her that question directly,” said Nancy Iskander, the mother of 8-year-old Jacob and 11-year-old Mark. “I will say, ‘Are you able to say, “I am sorry I killed them?”’ This will allow me to forgive, because I need to get through what she’s done.”

Iskander was forced to dive to safety with her youngest son, Zachary, who was 5 at the time, when Rebecca Grossman, a 60-year-old co-founder of a prominent burn center and a wealthy Los Angeles philanthropist, sped toward them at more than 80 mph. 

LOS ANGELES SOCIALITE REBECCA GROSSMAN GETS 15 YEARS TO LIFE FOR CRASH THAT KILLED 2 BOYS

Mark and Jacob Iskander were both killed when Rebecca Grossman sped through a crosswalk while racing home from a boozy date in 2020. (Nancy and Karim Iskander)

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The mother and surviving son watched in horror as Grossman slammed into Mark and Jacob at an estimated 81 mph. Then she fled the scene.

Grossman, who prosecutors described as a “completely self-serving” narcissist, was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and fleeing the scene of an accident for the Sept. 29, 2020, crash, but not without a number of dramatic curveballs in the case.

“She has lived a life of privilege and clearly felt that her wealth and notoriety would buy her freedom,” prosecutors wrote to the court while requesting the maximum allowable sentence of 34 years to life in prison.

According to prosecutors, even after her conviction she refused to take responsibility for the deaths, which jurors found were murders and not a “tragic accident.”

On Friday, Judge Joseph Brandolino sentenced her to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison plus another three years for fleeing the scene that will also run concurrently. California legal experts tell Fox News Digital she could be eligible for parole in just eight years.

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MOTHER OF SLAIN CALIFORNIA BOYS SPEAKS OUT AS CONVICTED KILLER DRAGS OUT CASE IN COURT: ‘SHE’S A MURDERER’

Rebecca Grossman, left, and daughter head to Van Nuys Courthouse in West Van Nuys, California. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

One glaring issue with the sentencing, in Iskander’s view, is that Grossman’s sentences were not imposed to run consecutively, which the mother says reduces the murders of two boys as if they were one person and completely erases Grossman’s attempt to flee the scene and avoid justice altogether.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to accept that … or even understand the judge’s point of view,” she told Fox News Digital. 

LA DA’S CATASTROPHIC INCOMPETENCE’ COULD BOTCH CASE AGAINST CONVICTED DOUBLE CHILD KILLER, LAWYER WARNS

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Karim Iskander, right, and wife Nancy arrive for Rebecca Grossman’s sentencing on June 10, 2024, in Van Nuys, California. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The concurrent sentences for a suspect who prosecutors said showed no remorse is unusually lenient, according to Garrett Dameron, a supervisor in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office who oversaw the line prosecutors on the case.

In contrast, a man in nearby Ventura County received a sentence of 30 years to life in prison for the deaths of a woman and her granddaughter who were riding together on a motorcycle when he smashed into them head-on while driving high.

FORMER MLB PITCHER SCOTT ERICKSON MADE THREATS AFTER HE WAS SEEN HIDING NEAR FATAL CRASH, DAUGHTER SAYS

A sign shows an image of Mark Iskander, 11, left, and his brother, Jacob, 8, outside a Van Nuys courthouse. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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“She basically showed no regard for the way our justice system works, and he rewards her with basically the lightest sentence he can give her,” Dameron told Fox News Digital. “It’s deeply offensive.”

While behind bars, Grossman was accused of attempted juror tampering and repeatedly violating court orders. Prosecutors say she also tried to release sealed evidence to the public and to contact witnesses.

“The defendant’s actions from September 29, 2020, through today show a complete lack of remorse and narcissistic superiority that leads to only one conclusion, that she is undeserving of any leniency,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo.

CALIFORNIA SOCIALITE REBECCA GROSSMAN ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL IN HIT-AND-RUN DEATHS OF 2 CHILDREN

Jacob Iskander (Nancy and Karim Iskander)

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Iskander said Grossman even made an anonymous donation of $25,000 toward the boys’ funeral costs, which the mother argues violated her right to refuse the killer’s money.

“She essentially attempted to buy her way out of this,” Dameron said. “Never has she once shown a modicum of remorse or sympathy or never has she even hinted at taking responsibility for this. And my issue with the judge is he had made comments throughout the trial that he didn’t like the murder charges in this case. Instead of objectively pronouncing [the] sentence as he should’ve, I think he’s attempting to legislate from the bench.”

Grossman’s lawyer, James Spertus, said the judge gave a thoughtful and detailed explanation for the sentence, adding that Grossman is a first-time criminal offender who had a decades-old reputation for humanitarian work.

“This case involves a tragic accident that resulted in incalculable loss to the Iskanders, so it is understandable they would be disappointed in any sentence short of the death penalty,” he told Fox News Digital. “However, I expected more maturity and professionalism from the prosecutors.”

Nancy Iskander and her three sons, Mark, Jacob and Zachary (Nancy and Karim Iskander)

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‘WOKE’ CALIFORNIA PROSECUTOR ‘IRONICALLY IN CHARGE OF ETHICS’ CHARGED WITH FELONIES

Grossman was speeding, had alcohol and drugs in her system, and plowed through the boys as they made their way through a crosswalk with their mother and younger brother. Court documents show she had a series of traffic citations going back to at least 2000.

Then, according to Iskander, she tormented the family for years with her legal maneuvering and alleged attempts to tamper with witnesses and the jury.

She explained that she constantly has flashbacks to the day of the crime, the sight of Mark and Jacob on the road. 

“I keep living it every day, every minute of every day,” she said. “How can he just ignore something like that?”

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Nancy Iskander and her husband, Karim, are shown outside court in Van Nuys, California. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Following the horror, the boys’ parents and younger brother have devoted themselves to helping others, kicking off a charitable foundation in honor of Mark and Jacob and launching a foster care project that will soon be licensed in Los Angeles. 

Zachary, now 8, is preparing to go on his first mission overseas to help build houses in memory of his brothers, Iskander said.

“I had always wanted them to wait until their teen years, but he wants to do something to honor his brothers,” she said. 

  

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She is hoping to raise money for The Mark & Jacob Foundation at an Oct. 20 event and for the forthcoming Mark & Jacob Foster Care Ministry.

Iskander also said she is willing to help other parents suffering through the trauma of losing their children.

“I just want to say to anyone listening, if they have a tragedy, if they are broken, to keep their faith,” she said.

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Alaska

Alaska Air National Guard rescues injured snowmachiner near Cooper Landing

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Alaska Air National Guard rescues injured snowmachiner near Cooper Landing


 

An Alaska Air National Guard HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter, assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, 176th Wing, returns to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, after conducting a rescue mission for an injured snowmachiner, Feb. 21, 2026. The mission marked the first time the AKANG used the HH-60W for a rescue. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Moon)

Alaska Air National Guard personnel conducted a rescue mission Saturday, Feb. 21, after receiving a request for assistance from the Alaska State Troopers through the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center.

The mission was initiated to recover an injured snowmachiner in the Cooper Landing area, approximately 60 air miles south of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The Alaska Air National Guard accepted the mission, located the individual, and transported them to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage for further medical care.

The mission marked the first search and rescue operation conducted by the 210th Rescue Squadron using the HH-60W Jolly Green II, the Air Force’s newest combat rescue helicopter, which is replacing the older HH-60G Pave Hawk. Guardian Angels assigned to the 212th Rescue Squadron were also aboard the aircraft and assisted in the recovery of the injured individual.

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Good Samaritans, who were on the ground at the accident site, deployed a signal flare, that helped the helicopter crew visually locate the injured individual in the heavily wooded area.
Due to the mountainous terrain, dense tree cover, and deep snow in the area, the helicopter was unable to land near the patient. The aircrew conducted a hoist insertion and extraction of the Guardian Angels and the injured snowmachiner. The patient was extracted using a rescue strop and hoisted into the aircraft.

The Alaska Air National Guard routinely conducts search and rescue operations across the state in support of civil authorities, providing life-saving assistance in some of the most remote and challenging environments in the world.



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Arizona

Arizona NAACP responds to ‘Simon Says’ case, calls for police accountability

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Arizona NAACP responds to ‘Simon Says’ case, calls for police accountability


PHOENIX — The Arizona NAACP is responding to the violent arrest of Israel Devoe, a Phoenix man who was acquitted of all charges stemming from a 2024 traffic stop in which officers punched, kneed, and elbowed him.

Sarah Tyree, president of the Arizona NAACP State Conference, said the case is part of a broader and familiar pattern.

“What happened here reflects a pattern our communities know all too well. Time and again, we see policing tactics that are dangerous and deeply harmful to civilians, yet are later justified as ‘within policy’ through carefully crafted reports and the broad protections afforded under Graham v. Connor,” Tyree wrote in an emailed statement following an ABC15 investigation.

RELATEDPhoenix man to file lawsuit after dangerous game of ‘Simon Says’ with police

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Phoenix police officials found all four officers involved in Devoe’s arrest to have acted within policy, records show.

After a two-day trial, jurors unanimously found Devoe not guilty on all four of the felony charges against him — including aggravated assault on officers and resisting arrest.

In her statement, Tyree said true accountability is not possible without changing state law.

“Accountability remains out of reach in Arizona because the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights continues to insulate misconduct from meaningful oversight, too often shifting blame onto the very communities most impacted by these encounters,” she wrote. “We also encourage Arizona voters to engage their state legislators and advocate for the repeal or amendment of the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights to ensure systems of public safety are truly accountable to the public they serve.”

Devoe’s case again highlights problems with policing in Phoenix, which has been under scrutiny following a Department of Justice investigation that found the city had a pattern and practice of using excessive force, discrimination, and weak oversight.

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The push for federal oversight ended in 2025 after the Trump administration ended such efforts across the country.

Devoe’s civil attorney, Jesse Showalter, also represents Tyron McAlpin, a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy who was violently arrested by Phoenix officers in July 2024. Showalter has said both cases reflect what he described as an accepted norm of extreme violence within the Phoenix Police Department.

A Phoenix police spokesperson said the department declines to comment because Devoe is set to file a lawsuit against the city.

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This digital article was produced with the assistance of AI and converted to this platform based on the broadcast story written and reported by ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing (Dave@abc15.com). Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. 





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California

Rep. Kevin Kiley announces run in California’s redrawn 6th Congressional District

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Rep. Kevin Kiley announces run in California’s redrawn 6th Congressional District



Congressman Kevin Kiley has announced his plan to run in California’s newly redrawn 6th district.

In a statement on Monday, Rep. Kiley revealed he had considered running in the 5th District – which could have set up a possible showdown between two current Republican officeholders.

“It’s true that I was fully prepared to run in the new 5th, having tested the waters and with polls showing a favorable outlook in a “safe” district. But doing what’s easy and what’s right are often not the same,” Kiley stated.

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Kiley currently represents California’s 3rd district, which originally comprised counties making up much of the back spine of the state.

As of the Prop. 50 redistricting push, the 3rd district was redrawn for the 2026 midterm election to lean toward the Democratic Party – with those eastern spine of California counties lopped off and more of Sacramento County, including Rancho Cordova, added.

California’s new 6th district is now comprised of Rocklin, Roseville, Citrus Heights, much of North and East Sacramento, and the city of West Sacramento. Democratic Rep. Ami Bera currently represents the district, but will be running for the new 3rd district in 2026.

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Other declared candidates for the 6th district include Democrats Lauren Babb Thomlinson, Thien Ho, Richard Pan, Kindra Pring, Tyler Vandenberg, and Republicans Christine Bish, Craig DeLuz, and Raymond Riehle. 

Kiley was first elected to the House in 2022 and was reelected in 2024. 





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