Ogden police chief explains how Tops burglary suspect was taken into custody and released

SPENCERPORT, N.Y. A parolee accused of putting on an employee uniform and stealing $7,000 from a Tops supermarket in Spencerport on Wednesday was released after receiving an appearance ticket.

According to Ogden police chief Travis Gray, Simon Reznichenko got into the Tops store late Tuesday night, claiming to be a friend of one of the cleaning staff.

Afterward, he said that Reznichenko then wandered around the store for seven hours posing as a cleaner and stole the money. After being taken into custody, Chief Gray said that officers discovered the $7,000 Reznichenko had taken from the store.

 Chief Gray credits the work of his officers for being able to quickly capture Reznichenko hours after he said an email containing the suspect’s photo was sent out to officers on patrol.

 “He was not known to store employees and he was not known to us at the time,” Gray said. “And so one of the officers was out walking around on foot patrol and saw a gentleman who struck him as possibly the suspect we were looking for.”

 Once arrested, Chief Gray said that parole was notified and that New York State Parole advised his department to issue Reznichenko a ticket before releasing him.

 The State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said that a new arrest alone cannot be the only basis for a warrant to be issued. Reznichenko is scheduled for arraignment Monday morning.