Antioch man charged with lying to police after stabbing self

An Antioch man was charged after stabbing himself in the abdomen while intoxicated, then lying to police about it, police said.

Robert Soria, 24, was charged with one count of felony disorderly conduct and could face up to three years behind bars if convicted, Antioch Police Chief Craig Somerville said.

Joshua Hayden, 24, also of Antioch, was charged with obstructing a peace officer for giving police information to back up the lie Soria told police, Somerville said.

Police were contacted by hospital officials in Milwaukee to investigate a report of a stabbing in an alley in downtown Antioch.

Somerville said Soria filed a report claiming he was stabbed by an unknown assailant after an argument, and Hayden provided police with false details to back up Soria’s story.

The investigation led police to discover Soria had been playing with a knife while intoxicated and had inadvertently stabbed himself deeply in the abdomen, Somerville said. Soria contacted Hayden, who convinced the injured man to go to the hospital due to the severity of the wound.

Hayden drove Soria to the unidentified hospital in Milwaukee, Somerville said, and while en route, Soria told Hayden what to tell police should the report be investigated.

Detectives spent numerous hours traveling, conducting interviews and reviewing surveillance tape to investigate this case, Somerville said.

“We will not tolerate police resources and taxpayer dollars being wasted on false claims,” he said. “Anyone contemplating filing a false police report should be forewarned. We will seek felony charges and restitution for time spent investigating false allegations.”