DALLAS COUNTY, Texas — A Dallas County jury has found a North Texas father guilty of capital murder for his role in the shooting death of three teens in Garland.
The jury deliberated for about four hours in the murder trial for Richard Acosta Jr., who was accused of being the getaway driver for his son, Abel Acosta, after Abel allegedly shot and killed three teenagers at a Texaco convenience store in December of 2021.
Abel Acosta has still not been located.
Friday morning, the defense rested their case, and the state began closing arguments before the jury was sent to deliberate if Acosta Jr. should spend the rest of his life in prison for the deaths of 14-year-old Xavier Gonzalez, 16-year-old Ivan Noyola and 17-year-old Rafael Garcia.
Following Friday's guilty verdict, the sisters of Gonzalez and Garcia, and Noyola's uncle took the stand to read their victim impact statements.
“We will never get the chance to hug him or see his infectious smile," said Garcia's sister.
"Losing him was so devastating to us... we didn't realize how much of an impact he had until we lost him," said Ruby Herrera, Gonzalez's sister.
"And we still are just halfway until we get justice after we get Abel," said Brenda Salinas, Gonzalez's aunt.
Acosta Jr. took the stand in his own defense on Thursday, saying he did not know what his son planned to do the day he allegedly shot the three teens.
“I would have tried to do something. I would have tried to stop any situation if he was going to try to harm somebody,” Acosta Jr. told the jury.
He said after running errands with his son Abel, he stopped to get Tylenol for his wife at the convenience store.
He told the jury his son was eager to jump out and confront teens that he knew inside the store about his stolen necklace. Acosta Jr. said Abel tried to jump out of his moving truck and when he reached to grab him, he wrestled out of his T-shirt as he got out.
Surveillance video shows Abel sneaking inside the front door shirtless but wearing a hat and a blue surgical mask.
Acosta Jr. said he heard multiple gunshots and then Abel ran back to the truck.
“He opens that back door and said ‘get out of here, somebody’s shooting. Get me out of here,'” Acosta said his son said.
Acosta Jr. was adamant that his son did not tell him what happened, and he didn’t press the issue or call 911 when they got home.
And when he went to check on Abel about an hour after the incident, who he said had a history of running away, his son was gone.
“I want him to turn himself in. We don’t know if he’s alive or if he’s breathing or anything. Nobody knows.”
But the prosecution grilled him about how he could have not known about the gun when Abel was only wearing baggy basketball shorts and the gun had a large clip.
Prosecutors alleged that Acosta Jr. encouraged his son to act and has been helping conceal him from arrest.
In a statement, Garland Police said it was a "long, emotional week," for families.
"We are only halfway to justice," the department said. "We will not stop until Abel Acosta is captured."
A reward is being offered for the arrest of Abel Acosta. Anyone with information regarding his location is asked to call police at 972-485-4869.