SEATTLE, WA – A pastor and gospel singer from Virginia was taken into custody upon his arrival in Anchorage after he allegedly hit his wife on an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle. The incident occurred when his wife was upgraded to first class, causing a situation that escalated into violence, according to court records.
The accused, identified as Roger Allan Holmberg Sr., had been traveling with his spouse to attend a ministry-related event in Anchorage when the incident occurred on July 2. Holmberg, who is a pastor and a gospel singer, resides in the Williamsburg area of Virginia.
Witness accounts from the flight detailed several altercations between Holmberg and his wife. Initially, Holmberg raised his voice asking his wife how she had received an upgrade. To this, she responded that it was due to her membership status with Alaska Airlines and asked him to refrain from speaking to her disrespectfully.
Holmberg then allegedly showed his wife his phone and made an obscene gesture with his hand. In the final incident that witnesses recollected, Holmberg tried to hit his wife, but was partially intercepted by a passenger. Notwithstanding this, he reportedly still managed to tap her head with his hand.
Upon arrival in Anchorage, Holmberg was arrested and subsequently charged with simple assault. According to the affidavit, his wife had reported Holmberg’s history of abuse, including an episode where he broke her finger last September. She shared that she was epileptic, and a blow to her head could trigger seizures.
However, Holmberg denied the accusations by mentioning that he only tapped his wife’s head to draw her attention. He also claimed that her anger issues have led to mutual harm in the past.
If convicted, Holmberg could be required to pay a fine and may face up to six months imprisonment. Locals news channel mentioned that Alaska Airlines has now barred Holmberg from traveling with them.