Father and son charged with kidnapping two Forest Service employees in Northern California
Joseph Henrichsen, 49, and his son Phoenix, 23, have been indicted on federal kidnapping charges after holding two U.S. Forest Service workers hostage for 15 hours in a Shasta-Trinity National Forest trailer.
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of California have charged Joseph Henrichsen, 49, and his son Phoenix Henrichsen, 23, with kidnapping federal employees after a 15-hour hostage incident in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The two female Forest Service workers were conducting field work near Gumboot Lake Campground in Siskiyou County on Thursday when Joseph Henrichsen allegedly approached them with an AR-15-style rifle, bound their wrists with zip ties and moved them to a remote trailer, according to the criminal complaint.
Law enforcement responded to multiple calls and entered a prolonged negotiation with the elder Henrichsen. The victims were eventually released unharmed, and both suspects surrendered after an hours-long standoff on Friday. Phoenix Henrichsen is accused of aiding his father by standing guard and remaining in the trailer while the kidnapping was in progress.
The motive for the attack remains under investigation. If convicted, the pair face up to life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Both men were ordered detained at their initial court appearance on Monday, and a preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 3. Joseph Henrichsen’s attorney, Meghan McLoughlin, said a statement to ABC News that “there is often more to these cases than the government’s allegations, and the criminal process will reveal Mr. Henrichsen’s story as well.” The son’s attorney declined to comment.