Suspect in Bronx autistic man's murder dies in NYC DOC custody at 20
Luis Alberto Lopez Castillo, 20, died Wednesday evening after a court hearing, becoming the eighth person to die in NYC DOC custody this year.
Murder suspect dies in Rikers custody after Queens court appearance
A 20-year-old man charged in connection with the killing of a Bronx autistic man died in New York City Department of Correction custody on Wednesday evening, nydailynews.com reports — marking the eighth in-custody death recorded by the DOC so far this year.
Luis Alberto Lopez Castillo went into medical distress at approximately 6:38 p.m. on Wednesday, hours after attending a pre-trial hearing at Queens Criminal Court for a separate robbery case. DOC staff administered CPR until medics arrived. Lopez Castillo was transported to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:54 p.m.
"An individual in our care tragically passed away following a court appearance in Queens," NYC Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards said. "This is a heartbreaking moment for me and the entire department."
An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged the death on X on Thursday. "I extend my condolences to his family," he wrote. "In line with standard practice, the DOC and its oversight partners will investigate the circumstances of his death."
Accused in Starlight Park shooting
Lopez Castillo had been held without bail on murder charges stemming from the fatal shooting of Ronell Marte, 26, in Starlight Park near West Farms Road and E. 174th Street in the Bronx on September 4, 2025. Marte was shot in the chest when Lopez Castillo and his alleged accomplice, Axel Martinez, 20, attempted to rob him in the park. Police said it was Martinez who fired the shot.
Marte's family described him as a hard worker who had chosen to cut through the park on his way home because he feared the subway after having previously been beaten in the city's transit system. "He took a shortcut through the park and, heartbreakingly, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and only five minutes away from home," his sister Nelroby Marte wrote in a GoFundMe post.
Lopez Castillo surrendered to the 43rd Precinct in the Bronx on October 27 and was charged with murder, manslaughter, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court and was ordered held without bail. Police said he was homeless at the time of his arrest.
The Queens robbery case for which Lopez Castillo appeared in court Wednesday dated to July 10, 2025. He had pleaded not guilty in that matter and was released with non-monetary conditions the following day — less than two months before his arrest in connection with Marte's death.
Prison watchdog groups condemn in-custody death
The death drew immediate condemnation from advocacy organisations monitoring conditions at Rikers Island. Freedom Agenda Co-Director Darren Mack called for an end to what he described as dangerous conditions. "Yet another family is now grieving after the horrific loss of a young man who was only 20 years of age and was awaiting trial at Rikers for almost a year," Mack said in a statement. "It's past time to stop sending people into this death camp."
Scott Young, a member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health and Justice, also offered condolences to Lopez Castillo's family while pointing to the broader pattern. "This is the 8th person to die this year while in the custody of the NYC Department of Correction," Young said. "We are 10 months into the year and already 8 people are dead. This is unacceptable. Why are we still going through all of this when Rikers was supposed to be closing? Conditions should be improving, but it seems like it is only getting worse."
Source: Google News JM — Crime