Watch CBS News

Arrest made in Downtown Miami attack on homeless that killed two

Arrest made in Downtown Miami attack on homeless that killed two
Arrest made in Downtown Miami attack on homeless that killed two 02:48

MIAMI - An arrest has been made in a series of unprovoked attacks on homeless individuals in Downtown Miami that left two people dead and two others hospitalized.

brenton-i-clarke-mugshot.jpg
Brenton Clarke  Miami-Dade Corrections

Brenton Clarke, 36, of Inwood, New York, appeared in front of Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer on Friday.

Clarke, who was wearing a green vest in court, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and armed robbery with a deadly weapon.

Judge Glazer found probable cause for all charges, stating after reading the arrest affidavit, "So he's just attacking people while they are sleeping and kills two of them. I find probable cause for the charges."

Clarke was ordered to be held without bond and to stay away from the surviving victims.

Clarke will appear before a division judge on Tuesday. Officials also noted he has a prior misdemeanor case in New York.

The attacks

According to police, surveillance footage captured Clarke's actions early Thursday morning.

Around 5 a.m., Clarke was seen walking past a person sleeping on the sidewalk near NW 6th Street and North Miami Avenue.

He stopped briefly to watch the individual before leaving. Approximately 40 minutes later, Clarke returned to the area, now armed with a metal rod. He attacked two people sleeping together on the opposite side of the street and then crossed back to assault the first individual.

Clarke continued his violent spree near NW 1st Avenue, north of NW 6th Street, where he beat another person sleeping on the sidewalk.

Around 6 a.m., Clarke returned to the scene of the initial attack and struck the first individual again, this time with a "large wooden stick," before turning back to assault the two sleeping together a second time. Clarke fled when an armed passerby intervened, police said.

Officers saturated the area and apprehended Clarke near NW 2nd Avenue and NW 5th Street after a brief foot chase. The arrest affidavit noted that Clarke's clothing had bloodstains and that he was behaving erratically.

Two victims - one from the NW 6th Street attack and another from the NW 1st Avenue assault - died from their injuries. The other two victims, a couple who were attacked on NW 6th Street, were hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Police said the woman underwent at least one surgery for broken bones and is now alert and stable.

Reaction from officials

Miami Police Chief Manny Morales described the incident as a "horrible display of unprovoked violence" and emphasized the department's commitment to ensuring Clarke is held accountable.

Ron Book, Chairman of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, called it one of the worst crimes he has seen in his three decades as chairman.

"This ranks up there with one of the most violent, violent set of offenses against defenseless individuals not only in our community but across the country. Our heart aches for the victims," Book said.

He also stated that Clarke does not appear to have been homeless in either Miami or New York. "He came to this community a week ago. We do not know him as a homeless individual and he is not in the system as being homeless," Book said.

Ongoing investigation

Miami Police spokesman Officer Mike Vega said investigators are still trying to determine Clarke's motive, as he has refused to speak to police.

"He is not talking, so we have no information on what the motive was and what his state of mind was at the time. We need the public's help. Maybe someone has seen him in the past couple of days and can share some information on who he is and what he was doing here."

Vega noted that Clarke even returned to one of his victims to attack them again.

Authorities are continuing to gather information, including from the surviving victims, to piece together why the attacks occurred.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.