Robert “Bobby” George (Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department).
An influential Ohio businessman and restaurateur reportedly taunted a woman he was dating during a violent assault, questioning her faith by saying, “You think God is going to help you?” as she prayed for her life.
Robert “Bobby” George, 44, of Lakewood, allegedly forced a towel into the 25-year-old woman’s mouth, bit her nose, and spat in her face during a savage attack in June 2024, as detailed by Cuyahoga County prosecutors.
George, the proprietor of Cleveland’s TownHall restaurant and the Barley House, along with other local ventures, is set to plead guilty to attempted strangulation. This plea enables him to bypass grand jury proceedings, according to a report by Cleveland.com.
He is expected to confess to physically assaulting the woman during an argument, choking her repeatedly over several hours, police and court documents reviewed by the media outlet indicate. Allegedly, he also lifted the victim and threw her around their shared residence while preventing her from leaving.
The indictment against George reads: “[George] did knowingly attempt to cause or create a substantial risk of physical harm to Jane Doe by means of strangulation.” It further establishes that Jane Doe was in a dating relationship with George at the time.
Initially, George faced several felony charges, including attempted murder and rape, for allegedly assaulting the woman multiple times over several months. Prosecutors revealed that after engaging in extended discussions with the victim, a plea agreement was arranged for George, as reported by Cleveland.com.
“I can’t tell you how much respect I have for this young woman and everything that she has gone through,” said Jefferson County prosecutor Jane Hanlin, who was forced to take over the case from Cuyahoga County prosecutor Michael O’Malley due to O’Malley recusing himself for donating to George’s business campaigns in the past.
“I wanted to do something that was in line with how the victim wanted the case to resolve, and I wanted to do something that would protect the victim as well, because cases involving violence between partners can be very, very difficult for the victims to go through,” Hanlin told Cleveland.com about the plea deal.
George’s girlfriend was allegedly hiding in a closet and praying when he asked her if she thought “God” was going to help her. He was accused of sexually assaulting and attacking her multiple times between November 2023 and July 2024.
As a result of his arrest, the disgraced restaurateur reportedly lost $3.5 million in funding from the Ohio Senate to support plans George had to construct a $35 million eatery and entertainment complex near the Cuyahoga River.
He is currently out on bond while prosecutors await the announcement of his plea deal.
