WATERVILLE — City police have charged a city man with assaulting his girlfriend and then lying about it when he told investigating officers that she attacked him, police said.

Matthew Waldo, 28, of Main Street, was arrested early Friday morning after he called police saying his girlfriend assaulted him, according to Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey.

Waldo met the responding officers outside of his apartment, telling police that his girlfriend became upset after talking to a friend on Facebook and when Waldo tried to talk to her, she started to hit him, Massey said.

“The officers went inside and spoke with the girlfriend and she gave a completely different story,” Massey said.

The woman said that Waldo had gotten angry because of the Facebook conversation and threw a cup of water at her before grabbing her arms and putting his hands around her neck, according to Massey.

“Her shirt was wet and she had bruises to support her story,” Massey said. “And there were no marks on Mr. Waldo, although he said he was struck by her in the face and arms.”

When the woman tried to call the police, Waldo smashed her cellphone, Massey said.

“The woman indicated that a coffee table was thrown across the room and there was a broken table against the wall,” Massey said. “We observed both sides and the girlfriend was being truthful. Waldo attacked her and not the other way around.”

Waldo was charged with aggravated assault, a class B felony, and obstructing the reporting of a crime, a class D misdemeanor. The aggravated assault charge carries with it up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Waldo was transferred to Kennebec County Jail without bail and has a July 15 court date at Kennebec Superior Court.