New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing fresh criticism after offering condolences to the family of an alleged murderer who died in custody, without mentioning the autistic man the suspect was accused of killing.
Luis Alberto Lopez Castillo, 20, reportedly suffered a medical emergency at Queens Criminal Court at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Department of Correction officers began CPR before emergency responders arrived and transported him to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly before 8 p.m., the New York Post reports.
“I extend my condolences to the family,” Mamdani wrote on X while sharing news of Lopez Castillo’s death Thursday.
Court records obtained by Gothamist show that Lopez Castillo had appeared in court Wednesday for a scheduled hearing on robbery, grand larceny, assault and criminal weapons charges related to an incident in July 2025.
He was also charged with murder, manslaughter, robbery and weapons offenses in the September 2025 death of Ronell Marte, a 26-year-old autistic man.
Police allege that Lopez Castillo took Marte’s cellphone during an early-morning confrontation at Starlight Park in the Bronx, while his alleged accomplice, Axel Martinez, shot Marte in the chest.
Marte had been walking home after working a shift at a nearby Amazon warehouse. His family told News 12 that he was working toward an associate degree.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is under renewed scrutiny after expressing sympathy for the family of an alleged murderer who died in custody while not referring to the autistic man he was accused of killing.
Mamdani shared news of Lopez Castillo’s death in custody on social media.
The mayor’s post quickly drew criticism online, with many users accusing the Democratic Socialist of overlooking Marte.
“He robbed and murdered a 26-year-old disabled man. You’re a monster,” one X user wrote. Another asked, “Why do you mourn the death of prisoners and not one single victim?”
A third critic accused Mamdani of showing compassion toward defendants while rarely acknowledging victims of violent crime, citing the killing of Erin Piacenti. The user noted that Piacenti was allegedly stabbed after returning to work from maternity leave, leaving behind a husband and infant.
“You are intentional about all of your posts, so why not call out murders of innocent people too?” the user continued. “You only call out the death of criminals.”
“Here you go again siding with criminals, sending your condolences to them instead of siding with the victims,” another X user wrote.
“You have no moral compass, no decency, no conscience. Shame on you,” the post continued.
The backlash mirrors criticism Mamdani received last month after he sent condolences to the family of Clarence Woodward, an accused killer who died at Rikers Island.
Relatives of Jose Miranda, the man Woodward allegedly killed, described Mamdani’s remarks at the time as “a slap in the face.”
Lopez Castillo faced murder, manslaughter, robbery and weapons charges in the September 2025 death of 26-year-old autistic man Ronell Marte, pictured.
Many social media users quickly criticized Mamdani for not mentioning Marte in his post.
‘It’s terrible,’ his grieving mother, Marisol Miranda, previously told The Post, adding, ‘That’s not fair. That’s not fair at all.’
She argued that Mamdani’s sorrow was misplaced, saying it instead should have been aimed at her son, a 45-year-old dad of two who worked as a barber when he was fatally stabbed at a Bronx laundromat.
‘I’m not happy with what [Mamdani] did and I need him talking about my son. He was killed,’ she said.
Lopez Castillo is now the eighth person to die in city custody this year.
In a statement, Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards said his death was a ‘heartbreaking moment for me and the entire department.’
Richards then vowed that the Department of Corrections would investigate Lopez Castillo’s death alongside city and state officials.
