California Forest Service employees freed after being taken hostage
Two U.S.Forest Service workers were taken hostage in rural northern california while conducting fieldwork in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Thay were held at gunpoint and zip-tied inside a trailer near a lake by Joseph Charles hendrickson and his son Phoenix, who wanted to speak with the FBI and indicated they had firearms and ammunition. The hostages were safely released around 2 a.m. after authorities, including the FBI, Forest Service law enforcement, and local agencies, responded to the incident that began on Thursday. The suspects had no prior history with law enforcement. The rescue involved drone surveillance and coordinated efforts among multiple agencies to resolve the situation peacefully. Forest Service officials expressed gratitude for the safe return of their employees.
Two U.S. Forest Service workers were freed early Friday morning after they were taken hostage in rural Northern California.
“I’m grateful beyond words that both of our Forest Service employees taken hostage on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest are home safe,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a statement.
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The employees were taken hostage by two armed individuals on Thursday while conducting fieldwork in the forest, according to the Forest Service. They were released safely around 2 a.m. on Friday.
Joseph Charles Hendrickson and his son Phoenix had the two workers zip-tied and held at gunpoint inside a trailer near a lake, Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue of Siskiyou County said in a press conference. Hendrickson indicated that he had firearms and ammunition, and he wanted to speak with the FBI.
According to the Forest Service, authorities were notified of the kidnapping around 11 a.m. Thursday. A Forest Service law enforcement officer coordinated initial responses with the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.
“At about 1:03 p.m., using our drones, we were able to identify a trailer where Mr. Hendrickson was inside, and we attempted every effort to begin communicating with him to resolve the potential conflict,” LaRue said.
Officials said the suspects did not have any history with local law enforcement.
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The FBI led the joint law enforcement effort, with Forest Service law enforcement and local police supporting on the ground alongside other agencies, including the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other partners from eight counties. Authorities have not yet identified the victims out of respect for their privacy.
“Secretary Rollins and Chief Schultz were engaged as this incident developed and progressed, and the Secretary was in direct contact with the FBI Director and the White House to ensure maximum support to end the crisis with our employees released safely,” the Forest Service told the Washington Examiner. “We are grateful to every one of them.”
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