Barrio Logan

‘There were rats': Stinky mountain of garbage behind bakery in Barrio Logan prompts questions

Since it's a business, the city says they must hire a private garbage collector

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The back of a bakery in Barrio Logan has become a garbage dump where the bad smell is almost unbearable on hot days.

"It's very unsanitary ... There were rats," said a local resident.

The bakery Charlie's Best Bread located at 2661 Boston Avenue in Barrio Logan has turned its back lot into a dumpster.

"It cannot be possible, anywhere else in the world this is a crime," said Rafael Tello, who worked as a bread delivery man for the company for seven months. Tello says the trash has been piling up for the past three months.

Bags of trash pile up outside a bakery in Barrio Logan, prompting questions from residents.
NBC 7

He rents a house next door and told Telemundo 20 he already told the landlord about the problem, who apparently reported it.

The City of San Diego confirmed it already had a report and on Monday the Department of Environmental Services went to Charlie's Best Bread to investigate. Since it's a business, the city says they must hire a private garbage collector.

"They have to clean up by a certain day and if they don't, we pick it up and charge them the cost of taking out the trash," said Jose Ysea, a spokesman for the city of San Diego.

As trash piles up, neighbors wonder who is going to take care of the problem outside the bread shop in Barrio Logan. Tania Luviano reports in Spanish for Telemundo 20.

Ysea said the Get it Done app or on the website is the best and fastest way to report problems in your community and avoid a similar pestilence.

Telemundo 20 contacted Fernando Linero Lozano, owner of Charlie's Best Bread, several times but did not respond to our calls.

Tello mentioned that he also contacted the bakery and was assured that they would clean up, but it has not happened yet. 

This story was originally reported by NBC 7's sister station, Telemundo 20. To read the article, click here.

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