Mayor Zohran Mamdani offered condolences Thursday for an accused murderer who died in Department of Corrections custody — mentioning nothing of the victim he allegedly killed.
Luis Alberto Lopez Castillo was facing murder, manslaughter, robbery and weapons charges in connection with the 2025 slaying of 26-year-old autistic man Ron Marte.
Castillo was accused of robbing Marte of his cellphone during an early morning ambush in the Bronx’s Starlight Park, where Castillo’s alleged accomplice, Axel Martinez, reportedly shot Marte in the chest as he walked home from an Amazon warehouse shift.
“I extend my condolences to his family,” Mamdani wrote about Castillo on X.
The Department of Correction staff saw Castillo, 20, in “medical distress” at Queens Criminal Court about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and performed CPR until EMS took him to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead just before 8 p.m., according to DOC which said they are still investigating the death.
Castillo was in court that day for charges related to a separate incident, according to a report in Gothamist.
Users on X ripped Mamdani for his mourning the accused killer and ignoring the victim.
“He robbed and murdered a 26 yo disabled man. You’re a monster,” one user posted.
“Why do you mourn the death of prisoners and not one single victim,” posted another user.
The blowback echoed criticism Mamdani faced last month after he mourned the death of accused killer Clarence Woodward at Rikers Island.
Relatives of Woodward’s alleged victim called the mayor’s remarks a “slap in the face” because they did not acknowledge their loss.
“That’s his pattern at this point,” another user posted.
“Here you go again siding with criminals, sending your condolences to them instead of siding with the victims,” another user wrote.
“You have no moral compass, no decency, no conscience. Shame on you!,” the user added.
