An expedition to study frog habitats in Northern California’s Shasta-Trinity National Forest was cut short last week, with a father-son duo accused of taking two federal biologists hostage.
The pair, identified as Joseph Charles Henrichsen and his adult son Phoenix Henrichsen, have been charged with kidnapping two US forest service researchers at gunpoint, NBC reports.
Using a semi-automatic rifle, the Henrichsens are alleged to have kidnapped the biologists on the morning of Thursday, July 16. The as-yet-unidentified researchers were reportedly zip-tied and held in a remote camper-trailer, while Joseph Henrichsen used a phone belonging to one of the biologists to contact authorities.
“I’ve taken two fed biologists hostage from the Forest Service,” the senior Henrichsen allegedly said in a message, per an affidavit filed a week after the incident. “I’m driving in the ranger vehicle right now.”
At one point, Joseph Henrichsen is said to have taken one of the workers, identified only as a woman, into the US forest service truck. “Her hands are behind her f***ing back, and I’ve got live rounds ready,” he said, before requesting to talk to a federal agent.
Thankfully, negotiators were able to diffuse the horrifying situation without any bloodshed, as the duo released the captive biologists before surrendering at 1am last Friday, per NBC.
Now, a week after the incident, the burning question seems to be why a father-son duo in the remote reaches of California would do such a thing. So far, court documents don’t list any possible motives, and a spokesperson for the US attorney’s office prosecuting the case told NBC they’re “not able to go beyond what is included in that filing.”
One possible explanation: the father and son could have been two of the state’s many anti-government extremists.
Despite California’s reputation as a liberal haven, the state has a unique history of violent extremism, particularly in remote, rural areas far away from urban centers.
Northern California, where this incident took place, has emerged as a particular hot spot for reactionary political extremism. While it remains to be seen what group — if any — the Henrichsens might belong to, it’s worth noting that the incident occurred near Shasta county, well known for its armed citizen militias and far-right groups, which are especially fond of making violent threats against government workers.
Either way, the incident makes for yet another wild footnote in the ongoing story of extremism in the Golden State.
More on the US forest service: Trump’s US Forest Service Spraying Deadly Toxins on America’s Woodlands