INDIANOLA — A criminal’s run from the police Tuesday was aided by a diversionary call to 911 reporting a stabbing in Suquamish, but police got their man anyway.

A Kitsap County sheriff’s deputy and a Suquamish Tribal police officer started the chase at about 5 p.m. after seeing a suspect take flight on foot near the 16000 State Highway 305 NE, according to reports.

The sheriff’s office, Suquamish police and Poulsbo police helped with the search. A police tracking dog was brought to the scene.

The 23-year-old Poulsbo man was suspected in a July burglary resulting in the theft of a laptop and a .22-caliber pistol.

In the middle of the hunt, which led officers through brush and along the waterfront near Sandy Hook Road, CenCom dispatchers received a report of a stabbing on Division Avenue.

“Nothing was located,” the report said, noting the phone number was traced back to one of the suspect’s acquaintances.

Additionally, a woman was contacted by officers driving through the area, smelling of alcohol, honking her car horn calling the suspect’s name. Officers assumed she was attempting to aid his run and identified her as the suspect’s sister.

The suspect was captured after about 50 minutes in the backyard of a waterfront home in the 148000 block of Sandy Hook Road. He denied breaking into the house and stealing the gun.

He was booked into the Kitsap County jail for investigation of first-degree burglary, first-degree trafficking in stolen property, second-degree theft and theft of a firearm.

Deputy Scott Wilson, sheriff’s spokesman, said investigators would likely look into the diversionary phone call and forward a report to prosecutors. He said such tactics were not uncommon, attempts to thwart police by calling in a serious crime at a separate location, and officers are trained to identify them.

“It has happened before,” Wilson said.