Man, 19, Breaks Into Abandoned Prison In Fishkill, Gets Trapped In Cell: Police

A 19-year-old man who allegedly broke into a shuttered prison in Dutchess County ended up trapped in a cell and had to be rescued before being arrested, state police said.

The entrance to the Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill.

The bizarre incident happened just after midnight on Saturday, June 14, at the former Downstate Correctional Facility on Red Schoolhouse Road in Fishkill, New York State Police announced.

Troopers responded to a report of trespassing and found the caller, Cody M. Mallon, of Argyle, locked inside one of the prison’s cells.

Investigators said Mallon had entered the abandoned facility by crawling through a hole in the perimeter fence. He reportedly wanted to take photographs inside the old prison when he somehow ended up trapped in a cell with no way out.

Glenham Fire Department responded and assisted state police in freeing Mallon from the cell. He was then arrested and charged with third-degree criminal trespass, a misdemeanor.

Mallon was issued an appearance ticket and is due back in Town of Fishkill Court at a later date.

The Downstate Correctional Facility, which closed in 2022, once served as a maximum-security intake facility for the New York State prison system.