Two Forest Service workers kidnapped, zip-tied & held at gunpoint for 15hrs inside trailer in wilderness ‘by dad & son’

TWO Forest Service workers endured a terrifying 15-hour ordeal after being ambushed, kidnapped, and held at gunpoint with a father and his son arrested. The two workers were held hostage inside a trailer in the Californian wilderness on Thursday, sparking a major police response with SWAT, hostage negotiators, snipers and bomb experts deployed to the scene. Two Forest Service workers were held at gunpoint in a trailer in the wilderness for nearly 15 hours allegedly by a father and son believed to be targeting government employees Credit: Siskiyou County Sheriff´s Office The horrifying ambush took place on Thursday morning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest (stock) Credit: Getty While doing field work in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, the pair who have not been publicly identified, were ambushed, zip-tied, and taken to a trailer near Gumboot Lake. Joseph Henrichsen, 49, and his son Phoenix, 23, have been arrested and face federal kidnapping charges. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! While allegedly holding the pair in his trailer, Henrichsen called the police at around 11am to say he had kidnapped two workers and had “live rounds ready to [expletive] anyone who [expletives] with me,” prosecutors said. He allegedly demanded to speak with the FBI, though investigators are still working to establish a motive. The phone call sparked a multi-agency response with deputies deploying drones to locate the trailer in the vast wilderness. Negotiations lasting 15 long hours ensued and ended at 1:50am on Friday when the pair freed the workers. They then handed themselves over to the police an hour later where they were arrested and charged. “There’s a lot that transpired between that…At about 1:50am, the survivors, the hostages, the two employees of the Forest Service were released, and I’m so incredibly proud of that,” Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said at a press conference. Most read in The Sun Police said Henrichsen and his son had an AR-15 rifle, knives, and grenades inside the trailer. “Crisis situations like this don’t often result in everyone leaving the scene safely,” FBI Sacramento acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh said. Neither of the workers were injured during the terrifying ordeal but Tosh said they are now “resting and will need some time to process.” If found guilty, the father and son duo face up to life behind bars and a $250,000 fine. While the investigation continues, it is believed the pair intentionally targeted the park workers because they are employees of the government. “I am grateful beyond words that both of our Forest Service employees are home safe,” US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a statement. “Our focus now is simple: The well-being of our employees and their families. Their well-being continues to be our highest priority.” Comment now