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D.C. Police Make Arrest In Brutal Attack, Investigate Link To Denver Murder Victim

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS4)- Police in Washington, D.C. have made an arrest in a brutal attack that happened overnight. Detectives are investigating whether it could be linked to the murder of a Denver man.

Police are investigating a series of attacks that have happened in the nation's capital city in recent days.

According to reports out of Washington, the suspect who was arrested is Michael Davis, the younger brother of San Francisco 49ers star receiver Vernon Davis.

At about 11 p.m. Thursday, Davis posted this quote on his Twitter account, "Just got a disturbing call from back home in Washington. A good day gone bad! Hopefully he wasn't involved."

Police have not released the mug shot for Michael Davis, 19.

Detectives are investigating whether the teen is connected to at least four attacks in the Petworth Neighborhood of Washington in the past 72 hours. In one of those attacks, Gary Dederichs, a tourist from Denver, was beaten to death.

Dederichs, 66, is a retired nurse from Swedish Medical Center. He was found dead Tuesday evening in an alley with severe head wounds.

The most recent attack that led to the arrest happened Thursday night involving a 19-year-old woman.

Police heard a cry for help at about 9 p.m. and found the victim on the ground with a serious head injury. Officers said they spotted Davis running away with a duffel bag and inside they found a claw hammer. Officers believed this was the weapon used in the attack on the woman.

"Recovered from the bag discarded by the suspect in the case was a claw hammer that's believed to be the weapon involved in this assault last night," said Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

The victim remains hospitalized.

Davis has been charged with one count of aggravated assault while police investigate possible links to the other attacks.

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