A federal charge was filed yesterday against a man accused of spitting in the face of a flight attendant on a flight from Seattle to Honolulu.

Zachariah Dodge, 26, was charged with knowingly interfering with the duties of an airline flight crew, U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo Jr. said. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Dodge was arrested Sunday by the FBI and the Transportation Security Administration after ATA Flight 921 landed at Honolulu International Airport.

Dodge became disruptive on the flight and threatened two flight attendants, refused to return to his seat and became combative, a criminal complaint said.

Dodge pinned a flight attendant against the flight deck door and then repeatedly spit in her face, it said.

Dodge will remain in federal custody until his detention hearing, which was scheduled for Thursday, Kubo said.

Woman accused of forging check

A 45-year-old woman was arrested at the Mililani Wal-Mart store yesterday after she allegedly tried to use a forged check to buy about $560 worth of merchandise, police said.

They said the woman gave the cashier a business check to make the purchase and the cashier tried to verify the check but found it was written on an account that didn't exist.

Police arrived at the store and quickly determined that the Hawai'i driver's license the woman was using as identification was counterfeit as well. The woman was arrested on two counts of suspicion of forgery.

Owner reports man robbing car

A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of breaking into a car yesterday morning after the car's owner watched as the man entered the car, which was parked on a street in Kalihi, and began removing items.