Tokyo police arrested a 44-year-old man Friday on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly injured five people, including two high school boys, with a hammer in western Tokyo before fleeing.

The suspect, Teruyuki Takabayashi, whose occupation is unknown, has denied the charges, saying that he ¡°did not intend to kill.¡±

The Metropolitan Police Department issued a nationwide search for the suspect while also looking for him following the incident in the city of Fussa, Tokyo, on Wednesday.