Man charged with holding woman's head underwater in koi pond at Old Orchard shopping center

A man was charged with attempted murder and other felonies Wednesday after police said he attacked a woman and held her head underwater in a pond at Westfield Old Orchard shopping center in Skokie, Illinois, the day before.

William Dobbs, 35, of Skokie, was charged with one count each of attempted murder, aggravated battery to a senior citizen, and aggravated battery with great bodily harm.

He was to appear Wednesday for a detention hearing at the Skokie Cook County Courthouse.

Skokie police said shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to reports of an attempted robbery at the shopping center. Police said a man hit a woman he didn't know with a bag before pushing her into the koi pond on the north end of the mall.

Witnesses intervened and separated the pair before officers arrived.

One witness who didn't want to be identified said she saw the woman completely submerged in the water while the man had her in a headlock.

"We thought he was just swimming by himself until we came closer and saw a woman underneath the water," she said.

The woman was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries from the attack.

The woman's age has not been specified, but the charges imply she was a senior citizen.