Kidnapped US Forest Service employees released after more than 12 hours, say authorities | California
Authorities in Northern California said two U.S. Forest Service workers were released early Friday morning after being held hostage for more than 12 hours.
Law enforcement arrested two men for alleged kidnapping near Gumboot Lake in the Shasta-Trinity national forest, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue told reporters Friday afternoon.
The sheriff said the incident started just before 11 a.m. Thursday morning. His office received a call from a USFS law enforcement officer reporting that a man had tied up two employees with zip ties and was holding them at gunpoint inside a trailer. The man was later identified as 49-year-old Joseph Charles Henrichsen.
The call sparked a massive backlash from law enforcement in the area, including local sheriff’s offices, police departments and the FBI.
Authorities said Henrichsen was armed with an AR-15 and knives and asked to speak with the FBI. Authorities began negotiating with Henrichsen around 4 p.m., LaRue said.
The hostages were released after 2 a.m. Friday morning, and law enforcement was able to get Henrichsen and his son, Phoenix Henrichsen, out of the trailer, LaRue said. Eric Grant, the district’s U.S. attorney, said both men face charges of kidnapping a federal employee.
“I am grateful beyond words that both of our Forest Service employees taken hostage in the Shasta-Trinity national forest are safe at home,” USFS Chief Tom Schultz said in a statement.
Authorities did not elaborate on what exactly transpired during the negotiations or Henrichsen’s alleged motivations. Officials said the workers were abducted in the remote area while doing routine field work.
LaRue said his office had not previously interacted with Henrichsen.
It is stated in newspaper articles and social media that the father and son previously lived in Washington.
In 2022, Bellingham Herald Joseph Charles Henrichsen has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly harassing homeowners. A judge ruled Henrichsen incompetent to stand trial, but the case was dismissed due to delays in getting him admitted to a state hospital.
