Rebecca Grossman had the drug Valium – as well as alcohol – in her system the day of the horrific accident that killed two young brothers, two toxicologists told the jury Monday in the wealthy socialite's murder trial in Los Angeles.
Grossman, 60, is charged with murder following the Sept. 29, 2020 crash that killed eight-year-old Jacob Iskander and his 11-year-old brother Mark.
Prosecutors called to the stand in Van Nuys Court near L.A. senior criminalist Blake Byfuglin, who conducted Grossman's initial blood test, and toxicology expert Chris Lopez, who conducted a confirmatory test.
Both declared that Grossman's blood was “positive for diazepam” (the clinical name for Valium).
But both also admitted that their tests were “qualitative, not quantitative,” meaning they couldn't say exactly how much Valium Grossman had in her blood.
Rebecca Grossman had the drug Valium – as well as alcohol – in her system the day of the horrific accident that killed two young brothers, two toxicologists told the jury Monday in the wealthy socialite's murder trial in Los Angeles
Mark Iskander, 11, and his younger brother Jacob, eight, died in the accident in 2020
And under cross-examination by defense attorney Mark Thiessen, he asked them, “You're not here to testify that Ms. Grossman was impaired by Valium, are you?” They both replied, “No.”
Grossman admitted to drinking alcohol earlier that tragic day, and breathalyzer tests she took after the accident showed 0.075 and 0.076 percent alcohol in her blood. A later blood test showed 0.080, the legal limit.
On Monday, prosecutors called Los Angeles Sheriff's Detective Michael Takacs, a drug recognition expert, to the stand to testify about the effects of Valium and alcohol on a person's ability to drive.
Valium – which, like alcohol, is a depressant – can lead to “poor decision-making, poor judgment and slowed information processing,” Takacs told the jury of nine men and three women.
“Many of these effects are the same as alcohol – slow, sluggish movements, slurred speech.”
And when would Valium and alcohol be mixed, asked Assistant District Attorney Ryan Gould. “If you have one beer plus Valium, it feels like five beers,” Takacs said. “Together it creates an additive effect.”
Grossman, 62, wore a gray cardigan over a black blouse and black pants to court on Monday, where she arrived – as she did every day – with her husband Peter Grossman, a well-known plastic surgeon and co-founder of the renowned Grossman Burn Foundation.
She is charged with two counts of second-degree murder stemming from the tragic deaths of the two boys on a marked crosswalk in Westlake Village in September 2020.
Grossman, 60, is charged with murder following the Sept. 29, 2020 crash that killed the two boys
Grossman left the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse with her husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, at her side
Grossman admitted to drinking alcohol earlier that tragic day, and breathalyzer tests she took after the accident showed 0.075 and 0.076 percent alcohol in her blood. A later blood test showed 0.080, the legal limit
Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8, died while crossing the street in September 2020
Grossman, who faces a maximum sentence of 34 years to life in prison if convicted, also faces two counts of gross negligence causing death and one count of hit-and-run resulting in death.
She has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has been free on $2 million bail since her arrest more than three years ago.
While prosecutors insist that it was Grossman's car that hit and killed the boys, their lead defense attorney, Tony Buzbee, has steadfastly pointed the blame at her ex-boyfriend, former professional baseball player Scott Erickson, 56.
The two – who were romantically involved while Grossman was separated from her husband – had been eating margaritas at a nearby restaurant on the day of the accident and she was reportedly “speeding” back to her home in Erickson's black Mercedes.
He was charged with negligent driving and his case was settled in February 2022 when a judge ordered him to make a public service announcement to high school students about the importance of safe driving.
The boys were crossing the street at a crosswalk in Westlake Village, California, when Grossman drove her high-powered Mercedes into them, according to prosecutors. She suspected her lover's car might have hit her instead.
Teryl Grasso, a paramedic who works in the emergency room at Los Robles Regional Medical Center, testified Thursday that Grossman — whose airbags deployed and whose car recorded an incident and deactivated — complained about his hospitalization.
“If they hadn't wrecked my car, I would have been home in my garage right now,” Grossman said, according to Grasso.
Grossman's white Mercedes SUV is pictured shortly after the accident
The Iskander brothers “had no chance,” prosecutor Ryan Gould said in his opening statements in the trial of Rebecca Grossman
Grossman is accused of killing brothers Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8, after she drove her Mercedes into the two boys in Westlake Village in September 2020
Buzbee, a high-profile lawyer who ran for mayor of Houston in 2019 and defended indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last year, told the jury in his opening statements Friday that he will prove that Grossman was not responsible for the death two boys are responsible.
He accused police of “making it easy” and shifting blame to Grossman in order to “rush to judgment.”
Buzbee called the police investigation into the accident “absolutely terrible,” adding that “there is not nearly enough evidence to convict Grossman.”