Accused killer of stepfather tries to escape from Riverhead jail, sheriff says

A Suffolk County inmate attempted to escape from the Riverhead jail Wednesday morning, but was stopped by a correction officer, the sheriff's office said.

Matthew Hubrins, 30, who is charged with second-degree murder in the 2012 killing of his stepfather, tried to scale an inside fence in the far corner of the jail recreation yard about 10:20 a.m. Wednesday, officials said, but his attempt was thwarted by Correction Officer Barbara McFadden.

After her normal tour of the inside of the yard, McFadden saw Hubrins heading toward the far corner of the yard, where he started to climb the fence. McFadden immediately ordered the inmate to the ground, but he didn't comply until he reached the multiple layers of razor wire near the top of the fence.

After Hubrins descended the fence, there was a brief standoff and McFadden called for help. Sgt. Richard Schenkman responded, and Hubrins was again told to get on the ground. This time, he did; he was handcuffed and escorted back to jail, officials said.

On June 16, 2012, Hubrins was arrested in the fatal stabbing of his stepfather, Noel Mohammed, 44, as he lay in bed in his Huntington house around 1:30 a.m. Hubrins was arraigned the next day and was given no bail.

Mohammed was a well-known and beloved figure in his community. He had worked as a postal carrier for 18 years and served as a Christian minister for more than a decade.