Two U.S. Forest Service employees were held hostage for more than 17 hours at a remote trailer near Gumboot Lake in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Northern California, before being safely released early Friday morning. Authorities arrested a father and son, identified as 49-year-old Joseph Charles Henrichsen and his adult son Phoenix Henrichsen, in connection with the incident.
The employees were conducting routine fieldwork when they were allegedly kidnapped and restrained with zip ties. The situation was reported to the Forest Service around 8 a.m. Thursday, and Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office was notified shortly before 11 a.m. Deputies located the trailer by early afternoon and began negotiations with Joseph Henrichsen around 4 p.m. The law enforcement response involved multiple agencies including the Siskiyou and Shasta County sheriff’s offices, the FBI, California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Homeland Security Investigations, and others. The FBI flew in an elite hostage rescue team from Quantico, Virginia, to assist with the standoff.
Negotiations continued throughout the night, culminating in the release of the hostages at approximately 1:50 a.m. Friday. The Henrichsens were taken into custody around 2:30 a.m. Both hostages sustained no physical injuries but were reportedly shaken by the ordeal. Authorities have charged the father and son with kidnapping federal employees.
Officials have not publicly disclosed the motive behind the kidnapping, noting that Joseph Henrichsen had no prior involvement with the Forest Service. However, court and local records reveal that Henrichsen has a criminal history in Oregon and California. In 2022, he faced hate crime charges in Whatcom County, Washington, linked to an incident involving his neighbors, whose landlords were of Russian and Ukrainian descent. The allegations included throwing fireworks on the property and leaving threatening notes referencing “Assassinate Vlad Putin.” A psychological evaluation deemed him initially incompetent to stand trial, leading to a psychiatric hospitalization of 45 days. His case was later dismissed without prejudice, pending a competency determination.
Phoenix Henrichsen attended Bellingham High School between 2019 and 2021, according to publicly available records.
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz expressed relief over the safe release of the employees, emphasizing ongoing support for the individuals and their families. FBI Sacramento acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh praised the coordinated efforts of the various agencies involved in resolving the crisis without injury.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and have encouraged anyone with information about the Henrichsens to contact the FBI.