Talone's Meat Market, the site of a raging four-alarm fire, was a longstanding business in Escondido, but police say once it shut its doors, trespassing became a problem.
In it's hayday, the building housed a meat market, slaughterhouse and produce shop. Neighboring businesses say it closed its doors for good about two years ago.
A consuming fire sparked just before 9 a.m. at the vacant building Thursday; the flames quickly engulfed the old, dilapidated building. NBC 7 viewers said plumes of heavy, dark smoke filled the air, seen by many motorists along the I-15 and State Route 78 near Nordahl Road. Dozens of firefighters arrived to fight the four-alarm fire.
A long time employee at the neighboring asphalt company says two months ago, a fence went up to help keep the homeless out.
"They boarded it up, they put wood and plywood on top of the doors and everything, but no matter what people would break in," said Daniel Guzman.
Guzman has worked at an asphalt company near Talone's Meat Market for about two decades.
In that time he has seen Talone's go from a popular meat market and slaughterhouse to a building plagued with trespassing problems.
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One of the original owner's daughters, Diane Gillroy, said she has so many good memories at Talone's Meat Market.
Her dad, Mario Talone, and her uncle, Henry, started the business about 90 years ago. She says this place was her dad's "everything" in his life, aside from his family and religion.
"I was here as a child going in and out of there with my dad and to see the building to see him. He was a wonderful father, he was a great man," she recalled.
To her, it was watching family memories going up in smoke.
"Ever since I was a little kid, my dad had this company," she said. "We would come over here from time to time and just say hi to dad and how are things going and everybody here in Escondido just loved my dad and the business."
Before the fierce fire destroyed the building, Guzman says people would break in and stay inside despite the fact that the building was boarded up.
Escondido police say a homeless problem began several months ago.
The Escondido Police Department (EPD) confirmed that, since April, there have been extra patrols around the abandoned building. This past Monday, the police department received a report of someone trespassing at the building but when officers arrived at the property, they did not find any trespassers.
The EPD said the property management company that owns the building had asked police for help managing the homeless problem at Talone's Meat Market.
NBC 7 spoke with Larry Julien, a transient in the area who said he's been inside the building that was destroyed by the fire. He said several homeless people have been using the vacant building as a shelter.
The property management company said it planned to demolish the building in the next few months.
