Two US Forest Service employees rescued after 15-hour hostage ordeal in California

Two US Forest Service employees were rescued after being held hostage for nearly 15 hours in California's Shasta-Trinity National Forest, with negotiators helping secure their release, authorities said on Friday.

The employees were carrying out fieldwork early Thursday when two armed men allegedly took them hostage, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said during a news conference.

Authorities received a call at 10:55 am from a US Forest Service law enforcement officer reporting that the employees had been zip-tied and were being held at gunpoint inside a trailer near Gumboot Lake, close to Mount Shasta.

How was the rescue op conducted?

The primary suspect was identified as 49-year-old Joseph Charles Henrichsen.

"Mr. Henrichsen indicated that he had firearms, ammunition, and wanted to speak with the FBI," LaRue said.

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Deputies, the sheriff's special response team and drones were deployed to the remote, rugged area around noon.

The FBI's Sacramento field office was notified shortly after and dispatched agents from Redding, a crisis negotiation team, SWAT personnel, a hostage rescue team and additional resources from Quantico, Virginia, according to Brian Tosh, acting special agent in charge of the FBI's Sacramento office.

Drones located the trailer just after 1 pm, prompting local, state and federal agencies to converge on the scene. Negotiations began around 4 pm.

"There's a lot that transpired between that," LaRue said. "At about 1:50 am, the survivors, the hostages, the two employees of the Forest Service were released, and I'm so incredibly proud of that."

Tosh said the first hostage emerged alone, followed by the second about 15 minutes later.

Accused surrenders

At around 2:30 am, Joseph Henrichsen and his adult son, Phoenix Henrichsen, surrendered and exited the trailer, LaRue said.

Joseph Henrichsen was armed with an AR-15 and claimed to possess grenades at the time of his surrender, Tosh said.

Joseph Henrichsen was arrested on federal kidnapping charges. Eric Grant, the US attorney for the Eastern District of California, said both men will be charged with kidnapping a federal employee.

Officials have not identified the two Forest Service employees or disclosed whether they were injured.

"Both are resting and will need some time to process this experience," Tosh said.

Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the hostage-taking, including why Joseph Henrichsen wanted to speak with the FBI. LaRue said neither man was previously known to law enforcement.

Multiple agencies assisted in the operation, including the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.