2 Arrested in 'Savage' Christmas Day Murder of Young Family

Two men have been arrested in the brutal Christmas day murder of a mother, her two children and her partner in New York.

On Saturday, 38-year-old James White and 24-year-old Justin Mann were each charged with one count of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder in the slayings of Shanta Myers, 36, Brandi Mell, 22, Jeremiah Myers, 11, and Shanise Myers, 5.

"The outstanding work of the Troy Police Detectives with the help of the NYSP Major Crimes Unit and other units, NYS DOCCS (Parole), the Rensselaer County District Attorney's Office and many other law enforcement partners lead to these arrests," Troy Police Captain Dan DeWolf told PEOPLE in a statement. "We also thank the public for all their tips and assistance in aiding in the investigation along with the media for the abundance of coverage they have provided. We appreciate all of the help and cooperation."

On Dec. 26, the bodies of the victims were discovered in an apartment in Troy, New York after the building's property manager received a call from one of the victim's relatives who was concerned that they had not been answering the phone. It is alleged that the victims were bound and their throats had been slashed.

Troy Police Chief James Tedesco said that the quadruple homicide was "not a random act" and that it was believed that the family had been targeted.

White and Mann are being held in the Rensselaer County Jail. It is not known if they have entered a plea.