Daijiworld Media Network - California
California, Jul 18: Two employees of the US Forest Service were rescued after being held hostage at gunpoint for nearly 15 hours in Northern California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest, officials said on Friday.
The employees were conducting fieldwork early on Thursday when two armed men allegedly took them captive, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said at a press conference.
According to the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, the main suspect, identified as Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, used one of the victims' mobile phones to make a call claiming that he had taken two Forest Service employees hostage and was prepared to use live ammunition against anyone who approached.
The sheriff's office received information at 10.55 am from a US Forest Service law enforcement officer that the employees had been restrained with zip ties and were being held at gunpoint inside a trailer at Gumboot Lake near Mount Shasta.
"Mr Henrichsen indicated that he had firearms, ammunition, and wanted to speak with the FBI," Sheriff LaRue said.
Deputies and the sheriff's special response team were deployed to the remote and rugged location around noon, while drones were used to monitor the area.
The FBI's Sacramento field office was contacted at 12.20 pm and sent agents from Redding, a crisis negotiation team, SWAT personnel, a hostage rescue team and additional resources from Quantico, Virginia, officials said.
Shortly after 1 pm, drones helped authorities locate the trailer where the hostages were being held. Negotiations with the suspects began around 4 pm and continued for several hours.
At around 1.50 am on Friday, the two Forest Service employees were released safely. The first hostage exited the trailer alone, followed by the second about 15 minutes later, officials said.
Around 2.30 am, Joseph Henrichsen and his son, Phoenix Henrichsen, 23, surrendered and came out of the trailer.
Officials said Joseph Henrichsen was carrying an AR-15 rifle and claimed to possess grenades at the time of his surrender.
Both men were arrested and charged with kidnapping a federal employee. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment and a fine of up to USD 250,000.
The identities of the rescued employees have not been disclosed, and authorities have not revealed whether they suffered any injuries.
"Both are resting and will need some time to process this experience," FBI Sacramento acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh said.
Authorities said investigations are underway to determine the motive behind the incident. It remains unclear why Joseph Henrichsen specifically sought to speak with the FBI.
Multiple agencies, including the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, assisted in the rescue operation.