A Connoquenessing Township man is accused of repeatedly threatening to kill his children, his wife and himself with a gun and threatening to swerve into oncoming traffic, according to state police.

Justin James Popa, 41, was charged Wednesday, July 22, with four felony counts of child endangerment, and five misdemeanor counts each of simple assault, reckless endangerment, terroristic threats and harassment for incidents police say stretch back to 2007, two months after he got married.

Police were notified of Popa’s alleged behavior by a Childline report filed June 2. They said the most recent incident occurred Jan. 7.

Most of the incidents occurred either in the car or at night when Popa believed the children were asleep, police said.

The family, including four children, was driving Jan. 7 on Route 68 near Connoquenessing Elementary School when Popa began screaming at a woman in the car and threatening to drive the car into oncoming traffic and into a pole, police said.

Police said during the incident, Popa also pulled a gun, which he carries “everywhere,” and threatened to kill himself, causing the car to crash and kill the five other people inside.

Police said Popa was driving between 50 and 60 mph during the incident and crossed over the center line into the path of oncoming vehicles.

In another incident from 2021, police said Popa and another woman were having an argument when Popa pulled his gun and aimed it at the woman’s head.

Popa then put the gun to his own head and also threatened to pull the children out of their rooms one-by-one and kill them in front of the woman, police said.

Police said Popa then shoved the woman and told her if she ever told anyone, he would “make sure it happened.”

According to police, Popa always told the woman he had the police “in his back pocket,” which is why she never reported it.

Police said Popa also squeezed the arms of one of the children while knowing it hurt them. The child previously had marks on their arms from previous instances of Popa squeezing their arms, according to police. The most recent alleged incident was last year.

In another incident while the family was in another state, police said Popa drove at high speeds while swerving in and out of traffic while threatening to kill them or drive into the median.

Police said there were multiple instances where Popa threatened to crash into oncoming traffic and shoot the woman, children and himself.

Popa’s preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled.