A Colorado man whose story of being stabbed for looking like a “neo-Nazi” made international headlines last week has been arrested after admitting that he made the whole thing up, police said Monday.

Joshua Witt, 26, wrote about the tale on Facebook, including pictures of the stab wounds on his hand after the alleged attack occurred at the Steak & Shake in Sheridan on Aug. 16. The post has since been deleted.

Mr. Witt, who is white, initially told police that he was attacked by a black man who approached him in the parking lot and asked, “Are you one of them neo-Nazis?” Trying to block the man’s attack, Mr. Witt said he was stabbed in the hand.

Mr. Witt told various news outlets, including Inside Edition, the New York Post and BuzzFeed, that he thought he was targeted for his haircut, known as the “high and tight.”

“Apparently, my haircut is considered a neo-Nazi statement,” he said Aug. 19.

Sheridan police investigated Mr. Witt’s claim, but he eventually admitted to making the story up, police said.

Video surveillance from inside a sporting goods store reportedly showed Mr. Witt buying a small knife minutes before the alleged attack. He admitted to police that he accidentally cut himself with the knife while parked in his car, a local CBS affiliate reported.

Mr. Witt was booked and released on false reporting charges. If convicted, he could face up to $2,650 in fines and up to one year in jail, CBS reported.

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