BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- For the second time in three weeks, a downtown Bangor business on Columbia Street has been burglarized.
Police said burglars broke in to Northstar Photography at 54 Columbia Street on Sunday around 11:30 a.m.
Northstar owner and photographer David Brown said his wife and their 13-year-old son walked into the store as the burglars were in the basement.
"The fact that my wife and 13-year-old were there scares me to death, but I'm glad that they are OK," said Brown.
The burglars made off with $3,800 worth of equipment.
"We're right in the middle of our busy season, so it's kind of painful," said Brown.
He said the burglary caught him by surprise, but he should have been expecting it.
Burglars stole $4,000 worth of technology and cash from the Sweetest Thing Studio three weeks ago, just two doors down from Northstar Photography.
In both cases, burglars broke in to the back of the building and entered a corridor that the Sweetest Thing Studio and Northstar share.
"Somehow they found a way to get in, so I'm thinking...I think it's an inside job," said Brown.
Police are still investigating both burglaries, and haven't determined if it is an inside job.
"That building is a big building, and there are lots of ways to get in and around the building," said Bangor Police spokesman, Sgt. Paul Edwards.
No matter who did it -- Brown thinks it's a sign of changing times in the downtown area.
"We're getting a lot more people off the streets who are obviously not here to make a purchase," said Brown. "We're seeing more people who are down and out."
After 26 years, it's a place Brown is getting ready to leave.
He's moving the business to a new location in Orono. Although the burglary isn't the reason for the move, he said it helps make his decision an easy one.
NEWS CENTER