Two U.S. Forest Service employees are safely back with their families after authorities say they were zip-tied, held at gunpoint and kept hostage for roughly 15 hours inside a remote trailer in a Northern California forest.
The frightening ordeal began at about 10:55 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, when a Forest Service law enforcement officer contacted the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office to report that two agency employees had been taken captive near Gumboot Lake in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
The employees had been carrying out routine seasonal fieldwork when they were allegedly confronted by 49-year-old Joseph Charles Henrichsen and his 23-year-old son, Phoenix Henrichsen, according to federal authorities.
Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said the workers were restrained with zip ties and held at gunpoint inside a privately owned trailer that did not belong to the Forest Service. Joseph Henrichsen allegedly said he had firearms and ammunition and demanded to speak with the FBI.
At one point, federal prosecutors said, Henrichsen used one of the employees’ phones to contact authorities and announce that he had taken two Forest Service workers hostage. He allegedly warned that one employee’s hands were tied behind their back and threatened to use “live rounds” against anyone who attempted to intervene.
Deputies and members of the Siskiyou County Special Response Team reached the rugged area around noon. Because the trailer was located in difficult mountainous terrain accessible by a narrow, one-lane road, authorities used drones to search the area and located it shortly after 1 p.m.
The FBI was notified at approximately 12:20 p.m. and sent agents from Redding, along with crisis negotiators, SWAT personnel and an evidence response team. The agency also deployed its elite Hostage Rescue Team from Quantico, Virginia, as the standoff grew increasingly serious.
Negotiators began communicating with Henrichsen at around 4:20 p.m. Although he initially spoke with authorities, officials said he later stopped responding.
“There was a lot that transpired,” LaRue said during a Friday news conference.
Officials said Henrichsen was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and knives and also claimed to have grenades. Investigators later recovered a rifle and knives from inside the trailer, although authorities have not said whether any explosives were found.
The tense standoff continued through the night before the first Forest Service employee was released shortly before 2 a.m. Friday. The second hostage was freed approximately 15 minutes later.
Both employees were evaluated after their release, and authorities said there was no indication that either suffered serious physical injuries. They were later reunited with their families.
Joseph and Phoenix Henrichsen emerged from the trailer and surrendered peacefully at around 2:30 a.m.
“Crisis situations like this don’t often result in everyone leaving the scene safely,” FBI Sacramento Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh said. “We are very proud of the work everyone did.”
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz also expressed relief that the two employees survived the ordeal.
“I want to say how profoundly grateful and relieved that we are that our two employees were released safely,” Schultz said. “Their well-being continues to be our highest priority.”
“This has been a frightening experience for everyone involved,” he added, saying the agency was staying close to the workers and their loved ones while giving them the support and privacy they needed.
Authorities did not release the employees’ names or specific details about the work they had been performing.
The massive response involved agencies from eight counties, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Mount Shasta police and the Siskiyou and Shasta county sheriff’s offices.
Shasta County alone sent roughly 30 people to assist, including SWAT officers, snipers, bomb squad members, hostage negotiators and drone operators.
Officials did not alert the public about the hostage crisis while it was unfolding because they feared widespread attention could interfere with negotiations. The Forest Service temporarily closed Gumboot Campground, Gumboot Lake and Upper Gumboot Lake for public safety without initially revealing why.
Investigators have not determined what prompted the alleged kidnapping or why Joseph Henrichsen demanded to speak with the FBI.
Both Joseph and Phoenix Henrichsen have been charged under a federal law prohibiting the kidnapping of federal employees. If convicted, each could face up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI is continuing to investigate and has asked anyone with firsthand information about either man to contact the agency.