FISHKILL, NY — A 19-year-old from Argyle found himself behind bars—literally—after sneaking into a former New York prison and becoming trapped inside a cell.
According to New York State Police, troopers from the Wappinger barracks responded to a call around 12:04 a.m. on June 14 at the old Downstate Correctional Facility, located at 121 Red Schoolhouse Road in the Town of Fishkill.
When they arrived, they discovered the caller himself—identified as Cody M. Mallon—was the one in need of help. The teen had reportedly entered the long-shuttered facility by crawling through a hole in the perimeter fence. Once inside, he began taking photographs, but his exploration took an unexpected turn when he ended up locked inside one of the facility’s old cells.
Emergency responders from the Glenham Fire Department assisted the troopers in freeing Mallon from the cell. Following his release, he was arrested on the spot.
Police charged Mallon with Criminal Trespass in the Third Degree, a Class B misdemeanor under New York State law. He was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to answer the charge in Town of Fishkill Court at a later date.
The Downstate Correctional Facility, once a maximum-security prison, has been closed since 2022. Despite its decommissioned status, it remains off-limits to the public, and unauthorized entry is considered a criminal offense.
Authorities are reminding residents to stay away from closed government properties for their own safety and to avoid legal trouble.
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