Police said bystanders intervened after the woman was pushed into a pond and held underwater at the suburban Chicago shopping center.
SKOKIE, IL — A man was detained Tuesday after police said he attacked a woman he did not know at Westfield Old Orchard, pushed her into a pond and held her head underwater before bystanders intervened.
Skokie police said officers were called to the outdoor shopping center at about 11:01 a.m. Oct. 13 after receiving reports of an attempted robbery, a battery and a possible firearm. Witnesses told police that a man was holding a woman’s head underwater in a pond on the north end of the mall after apparently trying to take her purse. The woman was later taken to an area hospital with injuries police described as not life-threatening.
According to a preliminary police investigation, the man and woman did not know each other and crossed paths near the pond. Police said the man struck the woman without provocation with what authorities described as a saddle-type bag and pushed her into the water. Police said he then held her head underwater.
Bystanders stepped in and separated the man from the woman before officers arrived, police said. Local television reports said two people entered the pond to help the woman. Video from the shopping center later showed police taking a man away in handcuffs. Authorities had not publicly identified the detained man as of Wednesday morning.
Police initially received a report that the man might have had a handgun, but investigators later said that report was not substantiated. Authorities have not announced evidence that a firearm was involved in the encounter.
A witness who spoke with ABC7 Chicago said she saw the woman completely submerged while the man had her in a headlock. CBS Chicago also reported that a witness initially believed the man was alone in the water before realizing a woman was beneath the surface. The witnesses’ accounts generally matched the sequence later described by police.
Westfield Old Orchard said Tuesday that it was aware of the incident and was cooperating with the Skokie Police Department. The shopping center said the safety and well-being of visitors, retailers and employees remained its top priority and referred questions about the case to police while the investigation continued.
Police described the incident as an apparent attempted robbery and attack, but no criminal charges had been publicly announced in the latest reports reviewed Wednesday morning. The circumstances surrounding the alleged attempt to take the woman’s purse, including whether any property was taken, had not been fully detailed by authorities.
The names and ages of the woman and the detained man had not been released. Police also had not disclosed additional details about the woman’s injuries beyond saying they were not life-threatening or announced whether she remained hospitalized.
Skokie police said the investigation remained ongoing. Authorities asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the department as investigators worked to determine the full sequence of events and whether charges would be filed.
Author note: Last updated October 14, 2026.