Virginia man charged with assault after allegedly hitting wife who received a first-class flight upgrade, FBI says
A man flying from Seattle to Anchorage has been arrested for allegedly hitting his wife after she received an upgrade to sit in first class, court documents reveal.
Roger Allan Holmberg Sr. was flying with his wife, who has not been named, on an Alaska Airlines flight on July 2, according to an affidavit by a special agent with the FBI's Anchorage Field Office. The couple from the Williamsburg, Virginia area were flying to Anchorage for an event related to his ministry, according to WAVY-TV, which reported that Holmberg is a pastor and gospel singer.
Witnesses recalled multiple incidents between Holmberg and his wife. One witness, identified in documents as "MC," said that Holmberg first asked his wife "How the hell did you get the upgrade?" His wife said that her membership status with the airline was the cause of the upgrade, and told Holmberg not to "speak to (her) like that," the affidavit says. In a second incident, Holmberg allegedly handed his wife his phone, told her to read something on the screen, and then gave her the finger.
MC told officials that Holmberg finally pushed in front of them and "attempted to swing his arm towards" his wife. MC leaned forward to attempt to block the strike, but Holmberg still "appeared to strike the top of the victim's head with his hand," according to the documents.
Another witness, identified as "AS," told the FBI that he heard the disturbance between Holmberg and his wife and a woman saying "You cannot be doing that" after the third incident, the affidavit says. AS said that he realized Holmberg had hit his wife.
After the assault, AS said he told Holmberg that he would be put "in handcuffs" if there were "any further incidents," according to the affidavit. Holmberg did not cause any more disturbances aboard the flight, AS said.
The Anchorage Airport Police were notified of the alleged assault while the plane was still in the air.
Holmberg's wife told police that her husband had a history of abusing her and had broken her finger in an incident in September, and that she had wanted to report his abuse. She also said that she had epilepsy and that a blow to her head could cause a seizure. She said that aboard the plane, her husband had struck her head with the back of his knuckles. An officer with the Anchorage Airport Police said that Holmberg's wife did not have any "noticeable bruising, cuts, swelling, or bleeding."
When police and the FBI spoke to Holmberg, he said that he was upset his wife had received the upgrade "because he wanted his wife to travel with him and sit next to him." Holmberg reportedly said he had not struck his wife, but had "tapped (her) on the head in passing to get her attention," demonstrating the movement to officers.
Holmberg also told police that his wife was "disrespectful to him often and had anger issues," and had previously harmed him, according to documents. He said she broke her finger by grabbing his leg when he was driving.
Holmberg was arrested for simple assault and transported to the Anchorage Correctional Center. He could face a fine and/or prison time up to six months if convicted.
Local media reported that Holmberg has been banned from Alaska Airlines.