Federal authorities in California have arrested a father and son accused of kidnapping two U.S. Forest Service employees near Mount Shasta.
Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and his son Phoenix Henrichsen allegedly held the workers hostage inside a trailer in a remote area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
A Forest Service employee alerted authorities shortly before 11 a.m. on Thursday after the two men were zip-tied and confined near Gumboot Lake.
The elder Henrichsen demanded to speak with the FBI following the abduction, prompting the deployment of a hostage negotiator from Quantico to assist local law enforcement.
After hours of negotiation, authorities secured the release of the first hostage at 1:50 a.m. Friday and the second 15 minutes later. The suspects surrendered to the FBI at 2:30 a.m.
The Forest Service confirmed both employees are safe and emphasized that their well-being remains the agency's top priority as they receive support.
Investigators have not yet determined a motive or why the suspects requested FBI contact during the incident.
Prosecutors intend to charge both men with kidnapping a federal employee under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a)(5).
