The father of a teenager who shot and killed three other teenagers in a convenience store the day after Christmas in 2021 was found guilty of capital murder this week.
Richard Acosta, 34, was convicted by a jury after three hours of deliberations Friday and faces life in prison without parole when sentenced, according to Fox 4 Dallas.
His son, 14-year-old Abel Acosta, shot and killed Xavier González, 14, Rafael García, 17, and Iván Noyala, 16, at a convenience store in Garland, Texas.
Richard Acosta, 34, was found guilty of capital murder this week after his son shot and killed three teenagers on December 26, 2021. (Garland Police Department)
Richard drove his son to and from the convenience store the night of the shooting, but did not pull the trigger, instead waiting outside in a truck while his son ran into the store and opened fire.
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Abel is still on the run after disappearing the night of the murders.
“We are halfway to justice. The search continues,” the Garland Police Department said in a statement after Richard was convicted. “We are not going to stop until they capture Abel Acosta.”
Abel Acosta, pictured here holding a gun in an undated photo, is accused of shooting and killing three teenagers at a convenience store on December 26, 2021. (Garland Police Department)
Richard testified at trial that he took his son to the store, but he did not know that the teenager was armed and he did not know that his son shot someone. Abel ran out of the store after the shooting and jumped into the back seat of Richard’s truck.
“He says, ‘Go, get out. Someone’s shooting. Get me out of here,'” Richard testified, according to Fox 4 Dallas.
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Richard Acosta maintains that he still does not know where his son is.
