A man was arrested Thursday and charged with murder after, police say, he attacked homeless people in Miami with a metal rod and a wooden plank with nails in it, killing two and injuring two more.

Brenton Clarke, 36, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and armed robbery with a deadly weapon, the Miami Police Department said.

At about 6 a.m. Thursday, Mr. Clarke attacked multiple homeless people in the area of North Miami Avenue and SIxth Street, police said.

Mr. Clarke was armed with a metal rod for some of the attacks and with a wooden plank embedded with nails for others, according to WSVN-TV.

Two homeless men were attacked first, Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said at a press conference, followed by a homeless couple.

The first two victims were found dead at the scene while the homeless couple were hospitalized, one of them in critical condition, according to WSVN-TV. None of the victims has been publicly identified by police.

Mr. Clarke, who was apprehended after a short pursuit by foot, had no prior arrest history in Miami but had been arrested before in New York, Miami police said. They did not specify what he was arrested for in the other state.

Mr. Clarke is from Inwood, New York, a community on Long Island, according to The Associated Press.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.