Two US Forest Service Employees Kidnapped in California, Rescued After 15 Hours

Two employees of the U.S. Forest Service were kidnapped at gunpoint and held for over 15 hours in a remote area of northern California, before being rescued in a coordinated operation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Source: CNN

The Incident

The ordeal began on the morning of Thursday, July 18, 2026, while the employees were conducting routine fieldwork in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Mount Shasta. They were surprised, tied with zip ties, and taken to a remote trailer on a single-lane road 600 meters up rugged terrain. Source: CNN One suspect used a victim's phone to call authorities, stating he had taken two federal employees hostage and had "real ammunition ready." Source: Infobae

The Rescue Operation

• The call triggered a massive response from local, state, and federal agencies, including FBI, Siskiyou County Sheriff, and Forest Service law enforcement. Source: Infobae
• Authorities used drones to locate the trailer and began negotiations around 4:20 p.m., lasting nearly 10 hours. Source: CNN
• The hostages were freed shortly before 2 a.m. Friday, with 15 minutes between each release. Source: Infobae
• Suspects Joseph Charles Henrichsen (49) and his son Phoenix Henrichsen (23) surrendered about 40 minutes later, armed with an AR-15 style rifle and knives, claiming to have grenades. No shots were fired. Source: CNN