SAN DIEGO — Police searched a Clairemont canyon Friday for a man accused of attacking his mother and then running off to hide with two guns.

The man’s mom told officers that he punched and kicked her around noon at a home near Lodi and Cole streets, grabbed two firearms and then ran into the nearby San Clemente Canyon area. Police say one of the firearms may be a BB gun.

A law enforcement helicopter was tracking the man as he hid among the trees and brush, and officers were stationed along the street in SUVs. The man was hunkered down under the trees and occasionally went in and out of a small cave, often talking on the phone. Police eventually determined that the suspect was on the phone with his father, who was in Las Vegas.

He was described as a white male, in his 30s, tall and thin, and wearing a Green Bay Packers sweatshirt with blue jeans.

The stalemate was ongoing as of 2 p.m., SDPD spokesman Darius Jamsetjee said. About an hour later, authorities said they’d decided to leave the area, as they knew the man’s identity and didn’t want an arrest to escalate into a violent confrontation. He remains wanted on suspicion of battery.