Suspect in custody in series of attacks on homeless men in NYC and D.C., police say

NEW YORK (NBC News) – A person who authorities say may be linked to a series of shootings — including two slayings — of homeless men in Washington, D.C., and New York City is in custody, according to D.C. police.

The unidentified man was captured early Tuesday, Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Capt. Darren Haskis said.

Details on how officers found the person and the charges against him were not immediately available.

"He is currently being interviewed at our Homicide Branch," the police department said in a tweet. "Additional information will be forthcoming. Thanks to the community for all your tips."

Five homeless men have been shot in the two cities since March 3, including a fatal shooting and stabbing of a man Wednesday in the capital and a deadly shooting of a second person Saturday in Manhattan, authorities said.

The first three attacks happened in Washington, D.C.: a 4 a.m. shooting on March 3 in which the victim survived, a 1:21 a.m. shooting Tuesday in which the victim survived, and the Wednesday death discovered when a Metropolitan Police Department officer spotted a tent fire, according to the joint statement.

The latest attacks occurred less than two hours apart Saturday in New York City, authorities said. The first shooting occurred about 4:30 a.m., when a 38-year-old man was shot while sleeping and woke up shouting, “What are you doing?” police said at a news conference.

The second shooting, the one that was fatal, is believed to have happened around 6 a.m., according to police. But they weren’t notified that a dead man was in a sleeping bag with wounds to his head and his neck until about 11 hours later. The two shootings Saturday occurred about a mile apart, police said.

None of the victims’ identities were available.