A Hammond man faces 25 years for killing a 15-year-old selling marijuana in a botched $140 drug deal.

Christopher Wells, 22, admitted Wednesday in a plea deal to voluntary manslaughter, a Level 2 felony. It was done under sudden heat, according to court documents.

His sentencing hearing is Feb. 5 before Judge Natalie Bokota.

Police were called around 8 p.m. March 11, 2021 to the 2800 block of 164th Street after reports of a shooting, documents state.

Wells said he went there with a friend to buy marijuana and THC cartridges from Jesus Castillo, a “kid” whom he bought drugs from before, records allege.

In a phone call with detectives, Wells claimed self-defense, saying the victim — Castillo, of the city’s Hessville section — tried to rob him as Wells was buying drugs from him, court records allege.

Castillo’s body was found five blocks north in the parked red Ford Explorer Wells drove, court records state. The boy had been shot a dozen times, with seven bullet fragments later pulled out, according to a coroner.

mcolias@post-trib.com