Stabbing On MA Central Rail Trail Was Faked, Police Say

WESTON, MA — A man who told police he was stabbed during a robbery along the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail section in Weston fabricated the incident, police are reporting.

The man initially told police he was walking along the trail near the end close to the Waltham line around 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 29 when two men approached him and demanded money. The man told police one of the men stabbed him before running off.

Two other trail users found the injured man, and he was treated for non-serious injuries.

On Wednesday, Weston police said the man had actually injured himself with a blade.

"The facts provided initially by the reporting party were found to be untrue and fabricated," Weston police said in a news release. "The reporting victim did sustain an injury from a stab wound, but it was at his own hand. The reporting party has recovered fully from the injury."

Police did not immediately say if the man had been charged, but said he could face charges of filing a false report.