US Forest Service Employees Kidnapped Near Mount Shasta Released

Two U.S. Forest Service employees conducting routine field work near Gumboot Lake in the Shasta‑Trinity National Forest were taken at gunpoint and held hostage for more than 12 hours. The kidnapping occurred on July 16, about a mile off the Pacific Crest Trail in northern California.

A joint response involving the FBI, Siskiyou and Shasta County sheriff’s offices, the California Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies led to negotiations that secured the workers' release early Friday morning. The suspects, 49‑year‑old Joseph Charles Henrichsen and his 23‑year‑old son Phoenix Henrichsen, voluntarily exited the trailer and were taken into custody. They face federal kidnapping charges that carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine per count.