Two men have been arrested after a hostage standoff in California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest that lasted more than 12 hours.
The incident began Thursday morning when a US Forest Service officer reported that a man was holding two employees at gunpoint inside a trailer.
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Authorities identified the suspect as Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49. His son, Phoenix Henrichsen, was also involved.
Law Enforcement Response
According to Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue, the response included local sheriffs, police departments, and the FBI.
Henrichsen was armed with an AR-15 and knives and expressed a desire to speak with the FBI. Negotiations began around 4 PM.
The hostages were released after 2 AM on Friday. Law enforcement safely brought both Henrichsen and his son out of the trailer.
Both men are expected to face charges of kidnapping a federal employee, as stated by Eric Grant, the US attorney for the area.
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“I’m grateful beyond words that both of our Forest Service employees taken hostage on the Shasta-Trinity national forest are home safe,” said Tom Schultz, the USFS chief.
Details surrounding the negotiations and Henrichsen’s motivations remain unclear. The two workers were conducting routine fieldwork when they were abducted.
According to the sheriff, his office had no prior interactions with Henrichsen.
Reports indicate that the father and son previously resided in Washington.
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In 2022, Joseph Charles Henrichsen was accused of a hate crime for allegedly harassing his landlords, but the case was dismissed due to his ruling of incompetence to stand trial.
