Father and son accused of zip-tying Forest Service workers and holding them hostage face new charges

Key Points:

• A federal grand jury indicted Joseph Charles Henrichsen and his son, Phoenix Henrichsen, for kidnapping two U.S. Forest Service employees during a 15-hour standoff in Northern California, with Joseph facing additional charges including assaulting a federal employee with a deadly weapon.
• The kidnapping occurred on July 16 in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, where the employees were conducting routine environmental work before being held hostage in a remote trailer after Joseph Henrichsen approached them armed with a semiautomatic rifle.
• The younger Henrichsen made threatening calls during the incident, warning others that he was armed and prepared to use live rounds, leading to a multi-agency response involving local deputies, the FBI, SWAT, and a hostage rescue team.
• Joseph Henrichsen has a history of criminal behavior, including a 2022 harassment case involving threatening actions toward a neighbor, which was dropped due to delays in providing treatment related to competency services.
• Both men remain in custody awaiting trial, facing potential life sentences and significant fines if convicted on kidnapping and related charges.