Man steals $200 cash at Pa. youth hockey tournament, awaits penalty, report says

(CBS) BLAIRSVILLE, Pa. -  Members of a popular Pennsylvania  hockey club would probably like to see a Blairsville man in the penalty box - or worse - after he allegedly stole $200 from the club while a youth tournament game was being played.

Police say 24-year-old Michael Brooks went to Center Ice Arena in Salem Monday night pretending to watch the action at a Franklin Regional Hockey Club competition, CBS Pittsburgh reported.

A short time later, he was reportedly spotted eyeing a cashier who was counting money.

Police say Brooks grabbed $200 from the cashier's hand and ran out of the arena.

Several witnesses followed him and got a license plate number, and CBS Pittsburgh says Brooks was arrested  later that night.

He's facing robbery and related charges, and was free on $10,000 unsecured bond as he awaits his preliminary hearing.

The Franklin Regional Hockey Club includes varsity, junior varsity, freshmen and developmental teams.

"Even though they wear the school's name, there is little to no funding provided by the school for hockey, so the parents are responsible for the associated costs, which can be significant," said parent John Newell, who is also the organization's vice president. "Our annual tournament helps to defray the cost of participation for our whole club and it is astounding that someone would target us in a place where everyone feels safe," he told CBS Pittsburgh. 

Police say there has been a spike this year in the number of people stealing from youth sports organizations.

They'll be investigating whether Brooks may be involved in any other cases.