An alleged victim of a strong-armed robbery was arrested when police found that it was he who committed the crime, Hoboken police said.

Angel Mendoza, 47, of Hoboken, was charged with filing false reports and theft on Oct. 4, eight days after he told police that two men grabbed him by the neck threw him from his work bicycle and fled with the bike, Detective Sgt. Joseph Leonard said.

On Sept. 26, Mendoza reported that he was in the area of the Ninth Street light rail station when he was accosted and robbed of the bike, which was owned by his employer and valued at between $1,000 and $1,500, Leonard said.

Police said that Mendoza was inconsistent in reporting the facts about the robbery and a witness told police they saw someone take the bike into a building on Fifth Street, Leonard said. A review of video footage revealed that only Mendoza was seen with the bike prior to the alleged robbery, Leonard said, noting that there is no evidence of the robbery he reported.

Mendoza faces up to 6½ years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines and restitution. Police did not specify Mendoza's job or where he works.

"When individuals make false reports of violent crimes, like robbery, that did not occur and it is done purposely to mask their own illegal or inappropriate conduct, they need to be charged," Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante said.

"False reports of violent crimes create public panic, social media reactions that could be damaging to the city, and waste hours of law enforcement investigative resources trying to track incidents that never occurred."