You could say their man fell right in their lap.
A bumbling murder suspect shocked US Marshals on Monday when he accidentally fell through the ceiling of the Memphis home in which he was hiding — just as law enforcement was tearing the place apart.
Deario Wilkerson, 20, was wanted in connection with a shooting that left a city man dead in early April, according to a press release issued by the US Marshals.
Members of a fugitive task force tracked the alleged killer for months, eventually zeroing in on a home on North Merton Street that wasn’t far from the actual murder scene.
Local and federal law enforcement surrounded the home Monday — as Wilkerson tried to dodge authorities by squirreling himself away in the attic.
But luck ran out for the gravity-challenged perp, who proceeded to tumble through the ceiling and crash-land on the floor just as they were conducting their search, the Marshals Service said.
Photos from the scene showed a massive hole in the drywall where Wilkerson fell and landed right near the kitchen sink.
But he wasn’t hurt, so authorities collared Wilkerson “with no further incident,” according to the release.
The arrest ended the months-long manhunt, which began in May when Tennessee courts issued an arrest warrant that sought Wilkerson on a first-degree murder rap for his role in the killing of a man named Troy Cunningham on April 2, the marshals said.
The Memphis cops had found Cunningham’s corpse near the Cavalier Court Apartments in North Memphis after responding to a call about a disturbance, according to the Shelby County District Attorney.
The police heard gunshots on the block while they were there, and found Cunningham laying on the sidewalk near the intersection of Merton and Peres Avenue with a bullet hole in the back of his head.
Two others were already arrested and booked for the killing, the district attorney said.
Wilkerson — the only one still on the lam — was hiding in a family member’s house when authorities found him, according to the New York Times.
Authorities also hit Wilkerson with charges of reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, reckless driving, vehicle burglary, gun theft, evading arrest and other offenses, the Times said.
He’s being held at the Shelby County Jail on a $6 million bail, according to jail records.
He was set to return to court Thursday.
