This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A group of men found out the hard way that stealing 30 12-packs of beer for a New Year's Eve party wasn't as easy as they thought it would be.

Cottonwood Heights patrol Officer Scott Cosgrove said six men went to a home near 8800 S. Grand Oak Drive Friday night, allegedly to steal beer they knew was in the house.

Cosgrove said that after the group rang the doorbell and no one answered, one of the men entered the home around 10:40 p.m. through the garage's attic access.

The man broke through the ceiling and fell into the master bedroom and opened the door for the other men, Cosgrove said.

The occupants of the home were in the basement and called police. The burglars heard a portion of the call to authorities and were leaving the house empty-handed when police arrived.

The men told police "they needed beer for the parties," Cosgrove said.

Police arrested the six and booked them into the Salt Lake County jail on various charges.

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