Father and Son Arrested After Kidnapping Forest Service Employees at Gunpoint in Hours-Long Standoff

FBI agents carry boxes as they leave the building where former National Security Advisor John Bolton has an office on August 22, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The FBI raided the home and office of John Bolton, the ex-National Security Advisor to President Trump during his first term, in a search for classified documents alleged to still be in Bolton’s possession. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

A father and son were taken into police custody after allegedly kidnapping two forest service employees and holding them at gunpoint in Northern California.

Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue of Siskiyou County laid out the details of the kidnapping on Friday. At around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday the sheriff’s office received a call from the Forest Service that a man had taken two employees hostage.

The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Joseph Henrichsen, was allegedly holding the zip-tied victims at gunpoint in a trailer near Gumboot Lake in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The suspect was reportedly demanding to speak to the FBI while holding the pair hostage.

The motives of the kidnapping are still under investigation. LaRue said his office had not previously had any interaction with the suspect.

Eric Grant, a prosecutor for the Eastern District of California, said both father and son are facing federal kidnapping charges.

The FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team descended on the area, with snipers, drones, SWAT, and bomb units. The first hostage was released at 1:50 a.m. and the second about 15 minutes later. Henrichsen and his adult son Phoenix Henrichsen were taken into custody after surrendering at approximately 2:30 a.m.

U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a statement that the two employees were taken hostage while doing field work. The identities of the hostages were not released but officials said they are doing “okay.”

“I am grateful beyond words that both of our Forest Service employees are home safe. On July 16 the two were taken hostage while doing field work on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest,” he wrote. “By the early morning of July 17, both were safe. This outcome is a testament to the skill and professionalism of our Forest Service law enforcement officers, the FBI, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s office, and every first responder who answered the call. Our focus now is simple: the well-being of our employees and their families.”

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