More than fruit at stand: authorities find pot

ESCALON -- Escalon Police found more than fresh produce growing near a fruit stand north of town on Friday. A marijuana grow was discovered behind a behind a produce stand on the 17000 block of South Brennan Road in Escalon, authorities said. The discovery came after officers smelled the heavy odor of marijuana in the area while conducting an unrelated routine traffic stop on Thursday afternoon. When they went to investigate they discovered several rows of marijuana growing amid the corn, grapes, squash and other plants. Officers returned the next day at 11 a.m. with a search warrant and found two men harvesting the marijuana. The men, Cola Sychampanakhone, 41 of Sacramento, and Khamsao Sychampanakhone, 57, of St. Cloud, Minn., were arrested at the site. Police uncovered 77 marijuana plants, processed marijuana and a “significant” amount of cash, according to the Escalon Police Department. The plants ranged in size from 2 to over 10 feet tall. Their street value is estimated at more than $308,000. The two men were booked in the San Joaquin County jail for conspiracy to commit a crime, cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to sell. The investigation is ongoing.