Three armed men crashed a poker tournament early this morning at a Heidelberg fire hall, injuring the event organizer and getting away with an unspecified amount of cash in what police said was likely an inside job.

"I'm sure they got away with a decent amount, a good bit of cash," said Heidelberg police Chief Vernon Barkley, who would only say the amount is believed to be more than $1,000.

About 20 people were participating in a Texas hold'em poker tournament in a space rented out by the Heidelberg Volunteer Fire Department when one player left about 2:40 a.m., Barkley said. Two men with guns entered through the locked door the player opened to leave, and then opened a side door to allow a third man wielding a baton to enter, Barkley said.

The armed men immediately asked for Sara Lazzaro, the Coraopolis woman who plans regular poker tournaments throughout the region, Barkley said. The men demanded cash and one of them struck Lazarro in the head with a baton, Barkley said.

"We're pretty sure it was an inside job," Barkley said.

Lazzaro could not be reached for comment.

The player who allowed the armed men to enter as he left seemed nervous and spent a lot of time on his cell phone throughout the night, Barkley said witnesses told police. That man, who Barkley declined to identify, has been contacted by investigators and is expected to be interviewed today by police.

A person who answered the telephone at the fire department declined to comment.

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