Hammond teen marijuana dealer killed in robbery: charges – Chicago Tribune
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A 19-year-old Hammond teen selling marijuana products died in a robbery setup, charges allege.
Angelo Matela, 18, was charged Wednesday with two counts of murder and one count of attempted robbery. He is in custody, held without bail.
He was one of two teens arrested by SWAT teams Wednesday. The other suspect is 15.
The victim, Armando Velasquez, 19, of Hammond, called a witness on Jan. 14, saying he was shot and was headed to the other person’s house.
He only made it to Briar East Liquors, 3127 169th St., where he walked inside and collapsed. Documents state he was shot in the back shoulder and the bullet exited his chest. His death was ruled a homicide.
The store called 911 around 5:50 p.m.
Police found a bloodied, stolen Smith & Wesson 9mm empty handgun in the vehicle Velasquez drove. His relative told police he borrowed the Nissan Pathfinder at 5:30 p.m., then called them within 20 minutes, saying he was wounded.
An Instagram message thread showed Velasquez went to the 6600 block of Kansas Avenue to sell “three gas hunters” and “good goods” for $165.
A search warrant for Instagram linked the other account to Matela.
Another Instagram account was linked to the 15-year-old. He was already on an ankle monitor for a Dec. 21, 2025, stolen car case. The monitor put him at the scene when Velasquez was shot.
Police got other tips that an “Angelo” bragged about setting Velasquez up.
Investigators cite a lengthy Instagram thread starting about an hour before Velasquez was shot, where Matela appears to coordinate a robbery with the other teen.
Anyone with more information can call Hammond Police Det. Jason Schafbuch at 219-853-6490.
mcolias@post-trib.com
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