New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has faced criticism after offering condolences to the family of Luis Alberto Lopez Castillo, who died in custody, without mentioning Ronell Marte, the autistic man Castillo was accused of killing. Castillo, 20, was pronounced dead after suffering a medical emergency at Queens Criminal Court while attending a scheduled hearing.

Castillo faced charges relating to a July 2025 incident and separate murder, manslaughter, robbery and weapons charges over Marte’s death in the Bronx. Police allege that Castillo robbed Marte while an accomplice shot him; Castillo’s death is the eighth reported death in city custody this year, and officials have pledged an investigation. The backlash echoes earlier criticism of Mamdani after he expressed sympathy for the family of another accused killer.