20-year-old man dies in DOC custody at Queens Criminal Court
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A 20-year-old in Department of Correction custody died in Queens Criminal Court on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. Eagle file photo by Walter Karling
By Jacob Kaye
A 20-year-old man died in Department of Correction custody inside Queens Criminal Court on Wednesday.
Luis Alberto Lopez Castillo, who was facing a slew of charges related to a robbery in Queens and had just had an appearance before a judge, was found in medical distress by correctional officers inside the courthouse around 6:30 p.m., according to the DOC.
After receiving CPR from staff inside the court, Lopez Castillo was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The DOC did not share any additional information about his death, the cause of which has yet to be determined by the city’s medical examiner.
Lopez Castillo is the eighth person to die in DOC custody in 2026.
“An individual in our care tragically passed away following a court appearance in Queens,” DOC Commissioner Stanley Richards said in a statement. “This is a heartbreaking moment for me and the entire department.”
“Our deepest condolences are with his family members and loved ones. We will investigate the circumstances of this tragedy with city and state authorities,” he added.
Lopez Castillo’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
The 20-year-old had been in the city’s custody since October 2025.
In addition to the robbery, grand larceny, assault and criminal weapons possession charges he faced in Queens, Lopez Castillo was also facing murder charges in the Bronx, according to court records.
Lopez Castillo was accused by prosecutors of taking part in a botched robbery in a Bronx park that ended in the death of 26-year-old Ronell Marte.
According to reporting by amNY, Lopez Castillo and his co-defendant, 20-year-old Axel Martinez, allegedly attempted to rob Marte in Starlight Park around 3 a.m. on Sept. 3, 2025.
The duo held Marte, who had autism, at gunpoint, and demanded he give them his cell phone. Martinez then allegedly shot Marte in the chest, killing him.
Lopez Castillo turned himself in to police around two months after the shooting.
The 20-year-old’s death comes around a month after 36-year-old Christopher Rodriguez died after experiencing medical distress in DOC custody. Rodriguez was being held in a jail unit in Bellevue Hospital designed for detainees with serious medical needs.
Julian Pagan, 29, died in July inside a Bronx courthouse holding cell after being arraigned but before being sent to Rikers Island, the troubled jail complex where over 100 people have died over the past decade.
In May, Umais Khan and Rajpattie Ramkellawan died within 24 hours of each other in the jail complex.
Khan, 40, was found unresponsive at the Eric M. Taylor Center on May 19.
Ramkellawan, 41, allegedly experienced a medical emergency at the Rose M. Singer Center the day prior and was later pronounced dead.
Similarly, John Price, 49, and Barry Cozart, 39, died in quick succession of one another in March.
Price died at Elmhurst Hospital on March 29 after suffering a medical emergency on Rikers.
Cozart, who also allegedly was found in medical distress, died at the George R. Vierno Center four days prior, on March 25.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
