Family of teen murdered at Garland still hopes his killer will be caught

GARLAND, Texas – The families of the three teens who were killed still do not know the whereabouts of the accused shooter, even after his own father was convicted of his part in the Garland store massacres back in 2021.

Police believe Abel Acosta, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, left the country and was likely assisted in doing so.

His father was convicted of murder on Friday and sentenced to life in prison without parole for driving his son to and from the crime scene.

But Richard Acosta claims he doesn’t know where his son is.

14-year-old Xavier Gonzalez was one of three teenagers shot dead in the store.

Police said Abel, who is still on the run, had a previous conflict with two victims: 17-year-old Rafael Garcia and 16-year-old Ivan Noyala. Investigators said Gonzalez had no history of waiting to buy tacos for his grandparents.

“He was an innocent bystander. That’s all he was,” said Xavier’s uncle, Rafael Gonzalez. “He had nothing to do with it.”

Gonzalez’s grandfather owns a ranch in Hunt County. His family talked about the ranch in everything from the sounds of a rolling tractor to the bleating of sheep and children playing, reminiscent of Xavier’s family.

“That was his life on the ranch,” said Xavier’s mother, Llunelly Lopez.

Lopez said he would joke that the ranch was his.

“He would have told all of us that this ranch was mine, I would only lend it to my grandfather,” she recalled. “The little hut over there, where he used to come and spend the night when he came here.”

The day after Christmas 2021, Xavier went home to Garland and never returned.

“They took something very valuable for our family,” Rafael said.

Richard Acosta, the father of the shooting suspect, was convicted Friday of capital murder for playing a fugitive driver.

CONNECTED: Shooting at Garland Convenience Store: Defendant’s father found guilty and sentenced to life in prison

“Because this guy is not the one who pulled the trigger, but he had something to do with it because he led it,” Rafael said.

He recalled taking his nephew hunting on the 150-acre ranch the weekend after his murder.

“And I said what are you doing? He said oh nothing on the phone. I said let’s go. Let’s go hunting,” he said.

Xavier was wearing the same clothes as in the CCTV footage when he died.

“He was just sitting there minding his own business, waiting for his tacos, he was on the phone. He didn’t know what was going on,” Lopez said. “It was hard to watch the video. It was hard.”

But as hard as it was for Xavier’s family to see and discuss his death, they wanted to talk to FOX 4 so everyone would know who he was.

“It was so hard without him,” Lopez said.

“He wasn’t a kid who wanted to be on the street and do something he shouldn’t have been doing. He knew better because that’s how we raised him,” Xavier’s uncle said.

A boy who loved horses, a child who enjoyed working with his grandfather, and a child who was taken away too soon, whose spirit they would always remember from the sights and sounds of the ranch he knew best.

READ MORE: Teen Garland triple murder suspect still on the run

Where is Abel Acosta?

Garland Police Department investigators believe additional family members helped him escape and he may have been in Mexico.

Police are asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact them.

This can be done anonymously.

There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.