A California father and son are accused of kidnapping two U.S. Forest Service employees, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said during a press conference.
Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and his son, Phoenix Henrichsen, allegedly held the two federal workers hostage inside a trailer in a remote area near Mt. Shasta.
The FBI sent in a hostage negotiator from Quantico to work alongside local authorities. After hours of negotiations, officials secured the release of both hostages.
According to authorities, the elder Henrichsen demanded to speak with the FBI after zip-tying the victims and keeping them inside a trailer near Gumboot Lake in Northern California’s Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
The elder suspect allegedly demanded to speak with the FBI after tying up the two victims. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A Forest Service employee contacted authorities shortly before 11 a.m. local time Thursday to report the kidnapping. The FBI secured the first hostage’s release at 1:50 a.m. Friday, followed by the second hostage about 15 minutes later. The two alleged kidnappers surrendered to the FBI at 2:30 a.m.
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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,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a statement.
“This was a frightening experience for everyone involved. Their well-being continues to be our highest priority. We’re staying close to them and their loved ones, making sure they have the support and the space that they need after what they’ve been through,” Schultz added.
Schultz said that he was “grateful beyond words” that the employees were safely released and able to reunite with their families. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The FBI does not yet know what the kidnappers’ motivation is or why they requested to speak with the FBI.
“The United States Attorney’s Office intends to charge both men by criminal complaint with kidnapping a federal employee under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a)(5),” Grant said during a Friday press conference.
INC News contacted the FBI and the US Forest Service for additional comment.
