Though I drive past him quite often, I did not know much about “Pierre,” the twenty-foot-tall voyageur that stands outside of the Earthwood Inn Bar and Restaurant as you enter Two Harbors. I certainly didn’t realize he doesn’t seem to be wearing proper pants. At one time, his eyes lit up bright red and he could “talk,” voiced in a Wizard of Oz type scenario. That’s kind of scary!
However, Pierre wasn’t intimidating enough to prevent a burglary on the night of July 3rd when the restaurant portion of the Earthwood was broken into.
According to the criminal complaint, the owner of the Earthwood had arrived the morning of July 4th and saw a window had been broken. Inside, more property had been damaged and around $100 cash was stolen.
The suspect, Andrew Donovan Hoffman, was arrested at a later time that same day. He’s been charged with felony 3rd degree burglary, 3rd degree damage to property, and theft. Hoffman is a 26-year-old Two Harbors resident.
Though the probable cause statement in the criminal complaint shows the suspect admitted to the crime, and the Earthwood has working security cameras, Sheriff Nathan Stadler of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department reminded me that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. “He’s been charged but not proven in court,” he stated.
Hoffman has since been released and is awaiting further proceedings.
The Earthwood is located on 933 Stanley Rd in Two Harbors, MN. According to numerous reviews online, the food is excellent, with burgers especially called out as a favorite. In post after post, the staff is lauded as friendly and dedicated to ensuring their patrons have a great dining experience. You can watch the Earthwood’s Facebook page for specials like fresh herring, another favorite mentioned quite a few times as excellent.
I’m going to be sure to visit in the near future to try one of those burgers (and one of the loaded-with-goodies bloody mary’s captured in a photo on their website). While I’m there, I’ll go get a better look at this odd guy unofficially named on tourist must-sees websites as “Pierre the pantsless voyageur.” If he starts to talk to me with red glowing eyes, however, I’m not staying long.
Feel free to contact me at sarahwritesnsj@yahoo.co with any news we should news about!
