Inset: Chase Michael Oothoudt (Beltrami County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The Beltrami County Adult Detention Center in Bemidji, Minn. (Google Maps).
A Minnesota man’s actions might have complicated his ongoing custody battle.
Chase Michael Oothoudt, aged 29, found himself behind bars after being charged with making terroristic threats. According to authorities, these threats were aimed at the mother of his child, her fiancé, and law enforcement officers. Documents from a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime revealed that on June 7, Oothoudt’s ex-partner informed the police of his alleged threats to visit her home and take their 7-year-old son without consent.
The situation reportedly escalated as Oothoudt’s threats intensified. The woman claimed that he not only threatened to come to her home but also vowed to kill her and her fiancé if they attempted to stop him from taking their son.
The complaint detailed that the relationship between Oothoudt and his former partner had ended several years prior, though she had allowed him to maintain contact with their son. However, she told police that these visits became less frequent as Oothoudt’s behavior grew increasingly “erratic.” On June 7, Oothoudt allegedly texted her, stating, “I’m coming to get my son,” followed by a message threatening to “breach the door and take [the boy] by force.”
Despite the woman’s repeated pleas for Oothoudt to cease communication, the complaint indicated that his threats took a darker turn. One text allegedly read, “[Y]ou take my child away from me and I will take your husband from you. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise.” Another message reportedly warned, “[Y]ou put a lot of faith in those glass ‘security doors.’ I sure hope [your fiancé] is the man you think he is. NO ONE will stand between me and my son.”
Oothoudt then allegedly took his threats to Snapchat and sent the woman a video. Police said Oothoudt was heard saying, “Soo, I don’t know if this confession or like a suicide letter but ah… yeahhh you take my son from me and I’m gonna shoot your boyfriend in the head and every deputy that wants to come and f— around is gonna find out! I sure hope they have a family they (law enforcement) gonna run like f—ing hell! F— around and find out, b—!”
Police determined that Oothoudt presented a threat to the woman and her family, so they went to Oothoudt’s house. After arresting Oothoudt, police executed a search warrant at his house and found “high powered rifles strategically placed near windows as if Oothoudt was preparing for a gun fight with responding officers.” Police seized a total of 14 weapons including “rifles, shotguns, and pistols.”
Oothoudt was booked into the Beltrami County Jail and posted $50,000 bond on Tuesday; he was released with conditions, including no contact with the woman or her family. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 15.