BEEFCAKE BEATDOWN!

Crime__stry

A HAPLESS robbery suspect must have felt as if he’d been struck by lightning after he allegedly tried to rob the all-male revue Thunder From Down Under.

Cops say the suspect sneaked into the per­formers’ dressing area at the Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas and began swiping parts of the hunks’ costumes as they were occupied getting ready for their next performance.

Then some of the dancers noticed items were missing. And when they started looking around, they allegedly found the suspect outside their dressing room, holding a suitcase filled with costumes and props. When they tried to wrestle it away from him, a scuffle erupted.

Cops say at that point the man whipped out a .44-caliber Magnum pistol and held it to the head of a performer. And that might just have been the biggest mistake of his life. The dancers were built like pro wrestlers, and one of them managed to shove the gun aside just as a shot went off. Then, six of the muscle-bound performers beat the heck out of him.

The suspect had to be treated at a hospital for a black eye and badly bruised face before cops dumped him into a jail cell. Fortunately, none of the dancers were seriously hurt, though one had to be treated for a minor facial injury.

“The suspect definitely got the worst of it,” declared Las Vegas police officer Laura Meltzer.

Incredibly, the bone-headed suspect had been spotted backstage earlier in the day. But since he was wearing a SWAT hat, fireman’s shirt and combat-style shoes, observers thought he was part of the act.

After his confrontation with the dancers, the bruised suspect was held by security guards un­til police arrived. The man identified himself, but cops believe he gave them a fake name and booked him as a “John Doe” in the Clark County Jail.

ASTONISHINGLY, a source says the suspectwho police believed to be under the influence of methamphetamine – claimed he had purchased the items in the suitcase as a present for a girl­friend. And even while he was on his way to the hospital, cops say he continued to struggle and had to be sedated.

Thunder From Down Under, which originated in Australia, has been permanently based in Las Vegas since 2001. Women flock to see what the troupe’s website trumpets as “chiseled abs” and dynamic dancing.

Now the alleged gunman who rubbed them the wrong way will have to two-step his way through a legal thicket. He’s been charged with a variety of crimes, including attempted murder and armed robbery. If convicted, he could spend decades behind bars.