Joseph Charles Henrichsen and Phoenix Henrichsen face federal charges after kidnapping two U.S. Forest Service biologists
Joseph Charles Henrichsen and his son, Phoenix Henrichsen, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for the kidnapping of two U.S. Forest Service biologists in Northern California. The 49-year-old Henrichsen and the 23-year-old Henrichsen were involved in a 15-hour standoff in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest where they held the two federal employees hostage in a remote trailer. During the incident, Joseph Charles Henrichsen approached the biologists with an AR-10 semiautomatic rifle and used zip ties to restrain them. Phoenix Henrichsen assisted his father in clearing space in the trailer and helped communicate with authorities. Joseph Charles Henrichsen now faces additional charges of assaulting a federal employee with a deadly weapon and brandishing a firearm. Court documents reveal that Joseph Charles Henrichsen has a history of legal issues, including a 2022 case where he was ruled incompetent to stand trial due to a possible psychotic disorder. Both men face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of the kidnapping charges.