A man traveling from Seattle to Anchorage was arrested for allegedly hitting his wife after she received an upgrade to first class, court documents reveal.
Roger Allan Holmberg Sr. was traveling with his unnamed wife on an Alaska Airlines flight on July 2, according to an affidavit from a special agent with the FBI’s Anchorage field office. The couple, originally from the Williamsburg, Virginia, area, were traveling to Anchorage for a ministry event, according to WAVY-TV, which reported that Holmberg is a pastor and gospel singer.
Witnesses described several incidents between Holmberg and his wife. One, identified in the documents as “MC,” said Holmberg first asked his wife, “How the hell did you get that upgrade?” His wife said her status as a member of the airline was the cause of the upgrade and told Holmberg not to “talk to her like that,” according to the affidavit. In a second incident, Holmberg allegedly handed his wife his phone, asked her to read something on the screen, and then gave her the finger.
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MC told authorities that Holmberg eventually stepped in front of them and “attempted to swing his arm toward” his wife. MC leaned forward to try to block the blow, but Holmberg “still appeared to strike the top of the victim’s head with his hand,” the documents state.
Another witness, identified as “AS,” told the FBI he heard an argument between Holmberg and his wife and a woman saying “You can’t do this” after the third incident, according to the affidavit. AS said he realized Holmberg had hit his wife.
After the assault, the man allegedly told Holmberg that he would be handcuffed if there were any further incidents, according to the affidavit. Holmberg did not cause any further disturbances on board the plane, AS said.
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 that he had broken her finger last September. She also said she had epilepsy and that a blow to the head could trigger a seizure. She said that on the plane, her husband had hit her in the head with the back of his fingers. An Anchorage airport police officer said Holmberg’s wife had no “noticeable bruises, cuts, swelling or bleeding.”
When police and the FBI spoke to Holmberg, he said he was upset that his wife had received the upgrade “because he wanted his wife to travel with him and sit next to him.” Holmberg reportedly said he did not hit his wife, but “hit her on the head as he walked by to get her attention,” demonstrating the move to police.
Holmberg also told police that his wife “was often disrespectful and had anger issues” and had previously hurt him, according to the documents. He said she broke his finger when she grabbed his leg while he was driving.
Holmberg was arrested for simple assault and transported to the Anchorage Correctional Facility. If convicted, he faces a fine and/or up to six months in jail.
Local media reported that Holmberg had been banned from Alaska Airlines.
