SISKIYOU COUNTY — A federal grand jury has indicted Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and Phoenix Henrichsen, 23, on kidnapping charges. The indictment follows an incident in which the pair allegedly held two U.S. Forest Service biologists hostage for 15 hours in Siskiyou County, California.

Joseph Henrichsen and Phoenix Henrichsen were each charged with two counts of kidnapping a federal employee. Joseph Henrichsen faces additional charges of assaulting a federal employee with a deadly weapon, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer.

The alleged kidnapping occurred on July 16, 2026, in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Two U.S. Forest Service employees who were biologists were conducting routine environmental work near Gumboot Lake Campground when Joseph Henrichsen approached them with an AR-10 semiautomatic rifle.

Joseph Henrichsen bound the hands of the two employees and, with the help of Phoenix Henrichsen, forced them into a remote trailer where they were held for 15 hours. Phoenix Henrichsen called multiple individuals and stated that he had taken two federal employees hostage and was armed.

Authorities received a 10:55 a.m. call from a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer reporting that the employees were zip-tied and being held at gunpoint inside a trailer at Gumboot Lake. Siskiyou County Sheriff deputies arrived at the location around noon and deployed drones.

Drones helped authorities identify the trailer where Joseph Henrichsen was located just after 1 p.m. The FBI deployed agents from Redding, a crisis negotiation team, a SWAT team, a hostage rescue team, and assets from Quantico, Virginia.

Negotiations began at 4 p.m. and resulted in the safe release of both victims and the surrender of both suspects. Joseph Henrichsen and Phoenix Henrichsen surrendered on Friday, July 17, 2026.

If convicted on the kidnapping charges, Joseph Henrichsen and Phoenix Henrichsen face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted on the additional charges, Joseph Henrichsen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years.

The U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Siskiyou County is a county in California, United States. PureSource News previously reported that two Forest Service employees were released after a hostage standoff in Northern California.

Public records state Joseph Henrichsen engaged in threatening behavior toward a neighbor in 2022, including discharging a firearm, setting off fireworks, leaving zip-tie restraints on the property, and posting a note with an explicit drawing that said “Assassinate Vlad Putin.” In 2022, Joseph Henrichsen was accused of harassing a neighbor he believed to be Russian around the time Russia first invaded Ukraine.

Joseph Henrichsen was charged with hate crime, malicious harassment, and felony harassment in connection with the 2022 incident. The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services declined Joseph Henrichsen's form to expedite treatment in 2022 due to a lack of bed space. The 2022 case against Joseph Henrichsen was dropped after the state was unable to provide treatment in a timely manner due to a capacity issue. Since 1998, Joseph Henrichsen has been charged with crimes including assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a weapon, and attempted robbery.

Why It Matters

The indictment carries potential life sentences, reflecting the severity of targeting federal employees during routine duties. This case follows a 2022 incident where charges against Joseph Henrichsen were dropped due to state capacity issues preventing timely mental health treatment. His criminal record dating to 1998 shows a long history of weapon-related offenses preceding this hostage situation.