Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, has been charged with kidnapping a federal employee, authorities said
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NEED TO KNOW
- Two U.S. Forest Service workers were zip tied and held at gunpoint inside a trailer in Northern California, authorities said in a press conference on Friday, July 17
- The suspects, a father and son, allegedly demanded to speak with the FBI before surrendering to authorities
- One suspect was charged with kidnapping a federal employee while both workers were released safely without injuries
A California father is accused of holding two U.S. Forest Service workers at gunpoint alongside his adult son near Mount Shasta.
In a press conference on Friday, July 17, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said two U.S. Forest Service employees were taken hostage on Thursday, July 16.
“They were conducting field work on the shafts of Trinity Forest in Northern California,” Schultz said in the press conference. He also said that both workers were “released safely” after officials were notified of the incident around 11:00 a.m. local time.
Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue alleged during the press conference that Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and his adult son Phoenix Henrichsen had “two forest employees zip-tied and held at gunpoint inside a trailer at Gumboot Lake.”
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LaRue said that Joseph told the workers that “he had firearms, ammunition, and wanted to speak with the FBI.”
After being held for hours, the employees were ultimately released unharmed at approximately 1:50 a.m. local time, KCRA reported. Henrichsen eventually surrendered to authorities at around 2:30 a.m. on Friday, July 17, per LaRue.
Brian Tosh, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI Sacramento Field Office, said that Joseph has been charged with kidnapping a federal employee. It is unclear if Phoenix is also facing charges.
“At the time, he had an AR-15 and knives and claimed to have grenades,” Tosh said. “Crisis situations like this don’t often result in everyone leaving the scene safely. We are very proud of the work everyone did today.”
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI assisted Forest Service officials in the agencies’ initial response, with the Bureau of Land Management, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and “law enforcement partners from eight counties” also assisting with the investigation.
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“I want to say how profoundly grateful and relieved that we are that our 2 employees were released safely. Their well-being continues to be our highest priority,” Schultz said. “We’re staying close to them and their loved ones, making sure they have the support and the space that they need after what they’ve been through.”
“This has been a frightening experience for everyone involved,” he added.
PEOPLE has reached out to the U.S. Forest Service and the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
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