Father and adult son charged with kidnapping two U.S. Forest Service biologists in Northern California

A father and his adult son have been charged with kidnapping two federal biologists at gunpoint in a remote area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Northern California. Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and his son Phoenix, 23, appeared in federal court in Sacramento on Monday on charges of kidnapping a federal employee and aiding and abetting, but did not enter pleas.

According to an affidavit, Joseph Henrichsen approached the two U.S. Forest Service staff biologists conducting frog-habitat research near Gumboot Lake Campground, brandished an AR-15-style rifle and zip-tied their hands before moving them to a nearby trailer where Phoenix joined them. The affidavit states that Joseph later placed one of the biologists, identified as a woman, in the Forest Service vehicle they had arrived in, drove several miles, and left a voicemail for a forest ranger claiming to have taken the biologists hostage.

Law enforcement negotiators engaged with the suspects for several hours. The affidavit alleges that at one point Joseph claimed to possess a grenade and threatened to use it unless officers withdrew. Negotiators eventually secured the release of the biologists after 1 a.m. on Friday, and the suspects subsequently surrendered.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California declined to comment beyond the filing, and Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said the individuals were not previously known to police. Property records show Joseph Henrichsen previously resided in Orange County, California, and he was arrested in Washington state in 2022 on unrelated charges that were later dismissed.

If convicted of kidnapping a federal employee, the Henrichsens face up to life imprisonment. A preliminary examination is scheduled for Aug. 3.