Man Charged with Huntington Murder Attempts Prison Escape

Written by Elizabeth Fasolino

An inmate charged with the murder of his stepfather in Huntington in June 2012, attempted to escape from the County Correctional Facility on Wednesday in Riverside around 10:20 a.m.

Matthew Hubrins, 30, who faces second-degree murder charges for the death of Noel Mohammed, tried to break out of prison by scaling an interior fence in a far corner of the jail’s recreational yard, officials said. 

The attempt was foiled by Suffolk County Correction Officer Barbara McFadden.

McFadden had just finished her regular tour on the inside of the recreation yard and had locked the fence. She then saw Hubrins heading toward the far right corner of the yard, where he started to scale the inner fence.

As the inmate climbed, McFadden ordered him to the ground. When he failed to respond, she approached him and again demanded he get down. 

Hubbins continued to ignore McFadden's instructions, and she called for back-up support over the radio. Correction Officer Sergeant Richard Schenkman responded to the call, and both approached Hubrins, once again ordering him to get on the ground.

This time, having almost reached the multiple layers of razor wire at the top of the fence, he decided to comply, and he made his way back to the ground.

The officers immediately handcuffed him and led him back into the jail.

Hubrins, a former resident of Huntington, was arrested and brought into custody in June 2012 in connection with the stabbing death of his stepfather, Noel Mohammed, a United States Postal Worker.

“Correction Officers face violent prisoners on a daily basis, and Officer McFadden’s professionalism under these circumstances should be commended," said Sheriff Vincent F. DeMarco in a statement. "She was able to verbally diffuse the situation, protect the safety of her fellow officers and the other inmates, and apprehend the inmate quickly.”