Pastor hits wife on plane after she gets better seat

A Virginia pastor faces assault charges after allegedly striking his wife during an Alaska Airlines flight last week. The incident, which occurred on July 2, reportedly stemmed from the preacher's anger over his wife's unexpected upgrade to first class.

Roger Allan Holmberg, 75, was arrested upon the flight's arrival in Anchorage. According to law enforcement officials, Holmberg became enraged when he discovered his wife, 59, had been moved to a first-class seat while he remained in coach.

According to a criminal complaint, obtained by the Independent, the altercation began shortly after takeoff when Holmberg left his coach seat to confront his wife in first class. He reportedly demanded an explanation for her upgrade, asking, "How the hell did you get the upgrade?" His wife responded that she was a "gold point member" and asked him not to speak to her in that manner.

The complaint states that Holmberg approached his wife two more times during the flight. On the second occasion, he allegedly demanded she look at something on his phone before making an offensive gesture. During the third encounter, Holmberg attempted to hit his wife, but her seatmate intervened. Despite this, Holmberg "still appeared to strike the top of victim's head with his hand," the complaint notes.

An off-duty police officer seated nearby warned Holmberg that further incidents would result in his restraint. Following this warning, Holmberg remained in his seat for the rest of the flight.

As soon as the plane touched down in Anchorage around 6:41 PM, police were waiting to arrest Holmberg. The wife told police this wasn't the first time he'd hurt her, saying he once broke her finger during a fight. She also mentioned having epilepsy and said her husband knew a blow to the head could trigger a seizure.

When questioned by authorities, Holmberg allegedly admitted to marital problems but blamed his wife. He claimed she was often disrespectful and had anger issues. Holmberg alleged that his wife had broken her own finger while assaulting him and had once grabbed his genitals forcefully.

Regarding the in-flight incident, Holmberg acknowledged being upset about their separate seating arrangements but insisted he had only "tapped his wife on the head in passing to get her attention." He denied being violent or intending to harm his wife.

Holmberg is facing a simple assault charge, which could result in up to a year in prison if he's found guilty. When asked about the incident, both Holmberg and his wife declined to comment.