Rebecca Grossman had valium and alcohol in her system when she killed two brothers in hit-and-run, medical experts testify at LA socialite’s trial

Rebecca Grossman had the drug Valium — as well as alcohol — in her blood the day of the horrific crash that killed two young brothers, two toxicologists told the jury Monday at the wealthy Los Angeles socialite’s murder trial.

Grossman, 60, is charged with murder following the September 29, 2020 crash that killed eight-year-old Jacob Iskander and his 11-year-old brother Mark.

Prosecutors called senior criminal Blake Byfuglin – who performed the initial screening of Grossman’s blood – and toxicology expert Chris Lopez – who performed a confirmation test – to the stand at Van Nuys Court near LA.

Both stated that Grossman’s blood was “positive for diazepam” (the clinical name for Valium).

But both also admitted that their tests were “qualitative and not quantitative,” meaning they couldn’t tell exactly how much Valium Grossman had in her blood.

Mark Iskander, 11, and his younger brother Jacob, eight, died in the 2020 crash

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Mark Thiessen, when he asked them, “You’re not here to testify that Ms. Grossman was affected by Valium, are you?” both replied ‘No.’

Grossman admitted that she had consumed alcohol earlier on that tragic day, and breathalyzer tests taken after the crash 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 LA County Sheriff’s Detective Michael Takacs, a “drug recognition expert,” to the witness stand to testify about the effects of Valium and alcohol on a person’s driving ability.

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 those effects are the same as those of alcohol: slow, sluggish movements, slurred speech.”

When Valium and alcohol are mixed, they can have a stronger impact, asked Deputy District Attorney Ryan Gould. “You have one beer plus Valium, which might feel 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 Monday, where she arrived — as she does every day — with her husband, Peter Grossman, a leading plastic surgeon and her co-founder of the acclaimed Grossman Burn Foundation.

She is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the tragic deaths of the two boys at a marked pedestrian crossing in Westlake Village in September 2020.

Grossman, 60, is charged with murder after the September 29, 2020 crash that killed the two boys

Grossman left the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse with her husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, by her side

Grossman admitted to drinking alcohol earlier on that tragic day, and breathalyzer tests taken after the crash 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, were killed while crossing the road in September 2020

Grossman – who faces a maximum sentence of 34 years to life if convicted – also faces two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence 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 it was Grossman’s car that struck and killed the boys, her lead attorney, Tony Buzbee, has steadfastly pointed the finger at her ex-boyfriend, ex-pro baseball player Scott Erickson, 56.

The two — who were dating while Grossman was separated from her husband — had shared margaritas at a nearby restaurant earlier the day of the crash and she allegedly “raced” Erickson’s black Mercedes back to her home.

He was charged with reckless driving and his case was resolved in February 2022, with a judge ordering him to make a public service announcement to high school students about the importance of safe driving.

The boys were crossing the road at a crosswalk in Westlake Village, California, when Grossman crashed into them in her high-powered Mercedes, according to prosecutors. She has suggested that her lover’s car may have hit them.

Grossman’s white Mercedes SUV is pictured shortly after the crash

The Iskander brothers ‘didn’t stand a chance,’ prosecutor Ryan Gould said in opening statements in Rebecca Grossman’s trial

Grossman is accused of killing brothers Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8, after plowing her Mercedes into the two boys in Westlake Village in September 2020.

Teryl Grasso, an EMT who worked in the emergency room at Los Robles Regional Medical Center, testified Thursday that Grossman — whose airbags deployed and whose car registered an incident and shut down — complained about being in the hospital.

“If they hadn’t disabled my car, I would be at home in my garage right now,” Grossman said, according to Grasso.

Buzbee, a high-profile attorney who ran for mayor of Houston in 2019 and defended ousted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last year, told the jury in his opening statements Friday that he would prove Grossman was not responsible for the death of the two boys.

He accused police of “taking the easy way out” and focusing the blame on Grossman in a “rush to judgment.”

Buzbee called the police investigation into the crash “absolutely terrible,” adding that “there is not nearly enough evidence to convict Grossman.”