A 34-year-old man has been found guilty of capital murder in connection to the fatal shooting of three teenagers by his then 14-year-old son.
On Friday, a jury convicted Richard Acosta of capital murder in the shooting deaths of Xavier Gonzalez, 14, Ivan Noyala, 16, and Rafael Garcia, 17. The incident took place the day after Christmas in 2021. A 15-year-old cook was also injured in the shooting but has since recovered.
Richard Acosta testified that he was unaware of his son’s actions and only knew that Abel Acosta had gotten into his vehicle and told him to drive away due to someone shooting.
Abel Acosta has been on the run since the shooting and is considered armed and dangerous by the authorities. Prosecutors accused Richard Acosta of trying to dispose of evidence and relocating his family from Garland.
Despite Richard Acosta surrendering to the police a few days after the shooting and being indicted nearly a year ago, his son has been missing since the night of the shooting.
The Garland Police Department has stated that their search for Abel Acosta will not stop until he is captured. Richard Acosta faces life imprisonment without parole as the prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. He was convicted under Texas law, which allows accomplices to be charged even if they did not commit the crime.