2 federal workers were held hostage at gunpoint for hours in a California forest. A father and son are the accused kidnappers

 

Mount Shasta with its snow-covered peak rising above rugged terrain in Northern California.

David Steinbrede/iStockphoto/Getty Images

Two US Forest Service workers were doing field work in a northern California forest on Thursday morning when they were abducted at gunpoint, zip-tied and led to a remote trailer, authorities said.

Using one of the victims’ phones to make a call, a suspect said he had “taken two fed (employees) hostage from the Forest Service” and he had “live rounds ready,” federal prosecutors said.

The call led to a massive local, state and federal law enforcement presence racing up the one-lane road to the campsite, located 2,000 feet up in rough terrain in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, authorities said.

It wasn’t until 15 hours later the government workers were released and home safe, and federal prosecutors charged a father and a son with kidnapping.

During the negotiations, authorities used drones to identify the trailer and make contact with the father, said Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue. When they did, the father said he wanted to speak with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, warning he had firearms and ammunition, the sheriff said.

About four hours later, around 4:20 p.m., federal and local law enforcement were able to begin negotiations, and the standoff continued nearly 10 hours more until the two employees were released 15 minutes apart, authorities said.