YOUR NORTHWEST MINNESOTA NEWSROOM Wednesday, November 11, 2026
LATEST Monticello Crash Injures Two, One Seriously
Crime

Red Lake Falls Man Charged Over Alleged Text

A Red Lake Falls man faces a restraining order violation charge after allegedly sending a late-night text to a protected woman, police say.

Preston Dean Altendorf
Preston Dean Altendorf

Red Lake Falls Man Charged Over Alleged Text

RED LAKE FALLS (trfnews.i234.me) — A Red Lake Falls man faces a charge after an alleged late-night text.

Preston Dean Altendorf, 25, was charged with violating a harassment restraining order. He was arrested following a report made on June 29.

Late-Night Message Reported

Police received the report at about 11:20 p.m., according to the criminal complaint.

A woman told police that Altendorf allegedly sent her a text message. She had a harassment restraining order against him.

The message said goodbye and stated that he loved and missed her. It also said he would protect her from above.

The woman said the message included an email address bearing Altendorf’s name. She gave police a screenshot of the message.

She also said Altendorf had been served with the order about one month earlier. A court hearing had been held on June 23.

She told police that Altendorf was trying to challenge the order. The complaint described no change before the alleged message.

Preston Dean Altendorf mugshot
Preston Dean Altendorf

Arrest Made in Red Lake Falls

A Red Lake County deputy contacted Altendorf around 12:57 a.m. on June 30.

The complaint says Altendorf allegedly admitted sending the message. He reportedly said he sometimes sends messages as cries for help.

The deputy arrested Altendorf in Red Lake Falls. Authorities later transferred custody at the Red Lake and Pennington county line.

The complaint also noted a 2025 conviction for terroristic threats in Crow Wing County. Altendorf remains on supervised probation for that offense.

The complaint did not clarify whether the woman was involved in the earlier case.

Restraining Order Information

Minnesota law allows courts to order a person to avoid contact with another person.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch provides information about harassment restraining orders and related forms.

A criminal charge is an accusation. Altendorf is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole, reporting for TRF News.

Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.

Want more news from your town?

Choose your hometown and the stories you care about.

Get My Town Alerts →
Share this story

1 Comment

  1. He’s the kid who peed on our rug when we were kids! I did hit him with a golf club at the time, I hope I had nothing to do with this one though

Leave a Reply

📍 Follow Your Town
Thief River Falls, MN Current temperature
36°F Clear