In Texas, a year after, his teenage son shoots and kills three teens in a convenience store, his father is found guilty of murder. According to police, his teenage son, is still on the run.
Richard Acosta, the father of a teenage boy, who shot and killed three other teens, the day after Christmas in 2021, over a supposed stolen piece of bling, was found guilty of capital murder this week. On Friday, Acosta, 34, was convicted by a jury, after three hours of deliberations and faces life in prison, without parole, when he is sentenced, according to Fox 4 Dallas.
In Garland, Texas, Acosta’s son, Abel, then 14-years-old, shot and killed 14-year-old Xavier Gonzalez, 17-year-old Rafael Garcia, and 16-year-old Ivan Noyala at a convenience store.
Apparently, Richard drove his son to and from the convenience store, on the night of the shooting, but did not pull the trigger. Instead, he waited outside in a truck, while his son ran inside the store and opened fire. Richard Acosta maintains that he still does not know where his son is. After disappearing on the night of the murders, Abel is still on the run.
It has been speculated Abel may be dead, by those who think, that the event was gang related, expecting he may have been killed in retribution.
At trial, Richard testified, that he drove his son to the store, but did not know the teen was armed nor did he know his son shot anyone. Reportedly, he testified that Abel ran out of the store after the shooting and jumped in the backseat of Richard's truck. He stated at trial that-
"He says, ‘Go, get out. Somebody is shooting. Get me out of here,”
- Richard Acosta
The Garland Police Department, said in a statement after Richard was convicted-
"We are only halfway to justice. The search continues,"… "We will not stop until Abel Acosta is captured."
-Garland Texas, Police Department
That such senseless violence remains a part of our society is reprehensible. That it robs us of our youth and posterity, because of anger and hatred, is a reflection on our value of life. May we as a society focus our families on selflessness and service – rather than hatred and indifference to one-another.
“Senseless violence is a prerogative of youth, which has much energy but little talent for the constructive.”
-Anthony Burgess