A Connecticut man facing charges for allegedly fatally stabbing his father last week has a troubling history marked by violence, including an incident where he reportedly assaulted a woman he met in rehab. According to authorities, this past encounter involved him dragging her from bed by her feet, threatening, “I’m going to kill you.”

The woman described her alleged experience with Joshua Popielarczyk to the police, saying he looked “like looking into the eyes of Satan” before the attack in 2023, as reported by CT Insider.

Details from arrest documents reveal that Popielarczyk, accused of murdering his father last Friday in Farmington, exhibited “weird behavior” during the time spent with the female victim. The two had reportedly spent several days together after leaving the same rehabilitation center.

According to CT Insider, Popielarczyk allegedly used drugs while with the woman, often falling into trances, pacing his apartment, and speaking to himself. This erratic behavior escalated into violence, with police reporting he physically assaulted the victim by pushing, hitting, and choking her.

The woman expressed a desire to report Popielarczyk but feared for her life, worrying that he might hear her call and retaliate. During one terrifying incident, he allegedly pulled her from bed, causing her to hit her head on the floor, and threatened her life. Popielarczyk then forced her to accompany him to his parents’ home, according to the police report.

Popielarczyk was charged with third-degree strangulation or suffocation in December 2023 and was convicted in October 2024, CT Insider reports. He received a suspended jail sentence of 11 months and was placed on probation for two years.

On Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, Popielarczyk allegedly stabbed his father, David Popielarczyk, 62, to death at the dad’s home in Farmington. A motive has not been released yet for the killing.

Police were called to the father’s residence at around 4 p.m. that day for a report of an untimely death under suspicious circumstances, Patch.com reports.

“Upon arrival, officers located a 62-year-old male in the living room who appeared to have sustained multiple areas of trauma,” Farmington Police reportedly said in a statement. “These injuries were later determined to be multiple stab wounds.”

Arrest and court records viewed by Law&Crime show that Popielarczyk was arrested on Saturday and charged with murder. He was being held this week on a $3 million bond and was still behind bars as of Wednesday.