A California philanthropist was charged with murder in a September hit-and-run accident that left two young brothers dead. CBS Los Angeles reports that Rebecca Grossman, 57, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a Los Angeles County Superior Court in Van Nuys on two counts of grossly negligent murder and vehicular homicide, along with a result of a hit and run charge resulting in death.
His bail was set at $ 2 million. If convicted, she faces up to 34 years in life in state prison, according to the Los Angeles County Attorney’s Office.
Rebecca Sapp photo / Getty Images
On the night of September 29, Mark and Jacob Iskander, aged 11 and 8, were at a crosswalk at the intersection of Triunfo Canyon Road and Saddle Mountain Drive when they were run over and killed by a speeding Mercedes while walking with their family .
LA County sheriff investigators said the driver, Grossman, ran away.
His white Mercedes, which had damage to the front, stopped about 400 meters from the crash site after his engine broke down, prosecutors claim.
Grossman is co-founder and president of the Grossman Burn Foundation, wife of the foundation’s president. She received awards and acclaim for her philanthropy around the world.
The sheriff’s department told CBS Los Angeles on Monday that the drunk driving part of the case remains under investigation and investigators are still waiting for the results of the toxicology. She may face more charges as soon as the results arrive
The next hearing is scheduled for February 16.