Man Charged With Murder in Reporter's Killing

"It is very important that whoever committed this crime be off the streets so they don't kill someone else," said Rosenbaum's brother, Marcus.

Philip Taubman, the Times Washington bureau chief, said, "We are encouraged that the police appeared to be making progress in their investigation and hope that anyone who was involved in the brutal assault on David will be identified and brought to justice."

Authorities credited good detective work and assistance from the community, the media and credit card companies.

Police said they decided not to cancel the stolen credit cards after the attack so they could track the robbers' whereabouts.

Overall, authorities said, someone used or tried to use Rosenbaum's credit cards at least seven times between 9:18 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Sunday. More than $1,300 worth of goods was charged to the cards, including purchases of laundry detergent and parts for Hamlin's Cadillac, which was recovered last night on Naylor Road SE, police said.

A credit card was first used at a gas station not far from where Rosenbaum was attacked, police said -- minutes before police even arrived on the scene.

Surveillance cameras then showed a card being used at 10:39 p.m. Friday at a CVS store in the 2600 block of Naylor Road SE and at 11:01 a.m. Saturday at Advance Auto Parts, in the 6500 block of Kenilworth Avenue in Riverdale. The auto store turned down the card. Both businesses declined to comment yesterday.

Both videos showed a medium-complexioned black man with a mustache. In one, he wore a black ski cap and a blue jacket with a name tag. Before the arrest, police said they had been unable to decipher the name on the jacket because the video image was too grainy.

"We've been trying to enhance it," Capt. C.V. Morris said yesterday afternoon. But "every time they blow it up, it breaks up."

Shortly before 9 p.m., police escorted a handcuffed Hamlin to look for a weapon -- possibly a bat or a tire iron -- that may have been used in the slaying. It was not clear where they went.

A memorial service for Rosenbaum is scheduled for today at the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Hamlin is scheduled to be arraigned today in D.C. Superior Court.

Staff writer Serge Kovaleski contributed to this report.