Fresno man sentenced in fatal pot garden shooting

Posted: May 16, 2011 6:09 PM
Updated: May 16, 2011 6:09 PM

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) A 41-year-old Fresno man has been sentenced to 28 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a man who tried to steal from his backyard medical-marijuana garden.

Fresno County Superior Court Judge Arlan Harrell said Monday that Phayvanh Dydouangphan apparently valued his pot more than human life, the Fresno Bee reports.

Dydouangphan, who is authorized to grow marijuana under California's medical marijuana law, admitted firing a shotgun at a group of people he caught breaking into his backyard on Sept. 8. He said he acted in self-defense because one of them pointed a gun at him.

The shotgun blast killed 40-year-old Stanley Wallace of Caruthers, who was sitting in the passenger seat of a pickup.

Dydouangphan was convicted in January of voluntary manslaughter.

The incident prompted Fresno County lawmakers to ban outdoor medical marijuana growing.

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Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com

Topics: Pot Garden Shooting

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