Arrest in Rosenbaum Slaying

WASHINGTON — A suspect in the beating death of New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum turned himself in to police Thursday night after TV stations broadcast surveillance images showing his face.

Michael Hamlin, 23, of Washington, saw one of the broadcasts and went to the 7th District police station "inquiring why his face was on TV," said Metropolitan Police Detective Anthony Paci.

Hamlin arrived at the police station around 6:20 p.m. EST and confessed to the crime shortly thereafter, Paci said.

Thompson's department has come under fire because an ambulance did not arrive for more than 20 minutes and because it took nearly 50 minutes after the 911 call for Rosenbaum to reach the hospital.

Emergency medical workers also did not realize that the journalist had been badly beaten. They thought he was intoxicated, several fire department sources have said. The city's medical examiner later determined that Rosenbaum died from a severe head injury and blows to his body and limbs.

It took four firefighters -- who are also trained as emergency medical technicians -- less than five minutes to reach the scene and begin administering aid to Rosenbaum, the statement said. "At no time did he present symptoms or detectable injuries that would cause first responders to request the addition of advanced life support resources," Thompson said in the statement.

An ambulance, which was dispatched at the same time as the firetruck, arrived in 23 minutes. The unit's emergency medical technicians took Rosenbaum to Howard University Hospital. He arrived there at 10:18 p.m., 48 minutes after the units were dispatched, Thompson said. The technicians told emergency room personnel that they believed Rosenbaum was drunk, fire department sources have said. Fire officials have declined to comment on the assessments.

At the hospital, Rosenbaum was not examined for at least an hour and was left on a stretcher in a hallway, fire officials have said.