Pair of suspects charged in brutal killings of 2 women, 2 children in upstate New York

— -- Two men have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of two women and two children in upstate New York.

James White, 38, and Justin Mann, 24, both of Schenectady, New York, were arrested in the Dec. 21 quadruple killing in Troy, New York, according to Troy Police Capt. Dan DeWolf.

White and Mann were arraigned in Troy City Court on Saturday morning and remanded to the Rensselaer County jail. They had both been brought in for questioning by the police Friday night. Each of the men was charged with one count of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder, according to DeWolf.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 4.

At a press conference later Saturday, Troy Police Chief John Tedesco said one of the men was acquainted with one of the victims.

The four victims, Shanta Myers, 36; Shanise Myers, 5, and Jeremiah Myers, 11; and Brandi Mells, 22, were found dead the day after Christmas in their basement apartment in Troy, about eight miles outside of Albany, according to police.

Police said Shanta Myers and Mells were in a relationship.

At a press conference Wednesday, Tedesco said the killings weren't believed to be a random act. He called the murders "an act of savagery" and said the officers involved in the case would not be able to forget the brutal crime scene.

"I don't need to speak about the horrific events that took place in that apartment, especially dealing with children," the police chief said.

ABC News' Will Gretsky and Darren Reynolds contributed to this report.