An Ohio businessman and well-known restaurateur allegedly taunted a woman he was dating during a violent attack, questioning, “You think God is going to help you?” as she prayed for her life.

Robert “Bobby” George, 44, based in Lakewood, reportedly assaulted the 25-year-old victim in June 2024. According to Cuyahoga County prosecutors, George forced a towel into her mouth, bit her nose, and spat in her face during the attack.

George, who owns the popular TownHall restaurant and Barley House in Cleveland, among other ventures, is set to plead guilty to an attempted strangulation charge. This plea will enable him to bypass grand jury proceedings, as reported by Cleveland.com.

He is expected to confess to assaulting the woman during a heated argument, during which he allegedly choked her repeatedly over several hours. According to police and court records obtained by local media, he also reportedly lifted and threw her around their shared home, preventing her from leaving.

The indictment against George states that he “did knowingly attempt to cause or create a substantial risk of physical harm to Jane Doe by means of strangulation.” It further clarifies that Jane Doe was in a dating relationship with Robert T. George at the time of the incident.

George was initially charged with a number of felonies, including attempted murder and rape, for allegedly attacking the woman numerous times over several months, according to Cleveland.com. Prosecutors said they and members of the DA’s office met with the victim and worked out a plea deal for George, with the parties spending “a lot of time” together.

“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.