Two biologists with the US Forest Service were taken hostage for about 15 hours by a man and his son in the remote Shasta-Trinity National Forest in northeastern California. The incident occurred late on July 16, 2026, when Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and his 23-year-old son Phoenix Henrichsen confronted the federal employees while they were surveying frog habitats.

According to court documents, Joseph Henrichsen approached the women carrying an AR-15, ordered them to turn around with their hands raised, and restrained them with zip ties before forcing them into a nearby trailer where they were held captive. His son reportedly cleared space for the women in the trailer near Gumboot Lake in Siskiyou County.

At one point, Joseph separated one of the hostages and drove her to a nearby lake, using her phone to call a US Forest Service ranger and leaving a voicemail for an acquaintance. In the message, he allegedly stated: “I’ve taken two fed biologists hostage from the forest service. [Victim 1] is ziptied, her hands are behind her fucking back, and I’ve got live rounds ready to fucking [inaudible] anyone who fucks with me,” according to the federal complaint.

The kidnapping prompted a large law enforcement response involving local sheriff's offices, police departments, and the FBI’s hostage response team. The motivations behind the crime remain unclear.

It was also reported that in 2022, Joseph Henrichsen had been accused of a hate crime for allegedly harassing his landlords, according to the Bellingham Herald.

Sources

Guardian US