Richard Acosta: Testimony continues in the murder trial of a father accused of driving a getaway vehicle for his son following the Garland murders.

DALLAS – *Note, some details in this report are considered graphical.*

The families stood their ground to testify Wednesday as the trial of the father of the suspect in the Garland shooting continued. The families of those killed viewed the autopsy reports, saying it was important for them to be there.

Richard Acosta Jr. has been charged with capital murder. He is accused of driving his son Abel Acosta to and from the scene of a triple murder on December 26, 2021. The jury will decide whether he is guilty or not guilty of knowingly aiding the crime.

Abel was then 14 years old, and he was called a shooter. He’s still on the run.

Xavier Gonzalez, 14, Ivan Noyola, 16, and Rafael Garcia, 17, were killed in the shootout. David Rodriguez was shot and survived. Now 16, he works at a Texaco convenience store.

Rodriguez briefly testified on Tuesday.

Throughout the week, family members of the victims filled the courtroom.

Brenda Salinas, Gonzalez’s aunt, said she was filled with sadness and anger.

“He’s a parent,” she said. She believes that Richard Acosta bears the same responsibility for the triple murder and should be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Salinas described her nephew as “very caring, especially cheerful and hardworking”.

She said that Gonzalez was close to his grandfather and was at the store to buy food for him.

Mario Noyola, Ivan Noyola’s father, is furious. He said Acosta was guilty because he took his son to the store. He wants the maximum sentence for the defendant.

Noyola described his son as a hard-working, happy child who loved to have fun.

The Garland Police Department, who worked on the case, testified for much of Wednesday in court.

Forensic experts and investigators were questioned about the evidence they had collected. Items discussed included numerous shell casings, weapons, clothing, and more.

A short conversation at the police station was shown when Acosta surrendered.

Two firearms experts also testified on Wednesday. They talked about two assembled weapons that did not match the shells from the convenience store.

After the lunch break, Dr. Elizabeth Ventura was called to testify. She is the medical examiner who performed the autopsy on 17-year-old Rafael Garcia. At this time, his family left the room.

Dr. Ventura said he was shot twice, including once in the heart. “He would have had, I would say, a few seconds,” she said. The second shot pierced the lung.

He was followed by Dr. Stephen Hastings. He performed an autopsy on 16-year-old Ivan Noyola. He said the child had been shot four times. His lungs were damaged.

“When we pass out, we’re talking seconds to minutes, so it’s pretty fast here.”

Dr. Daniel Butler, who performed the autopsy on Xavier Gonzalez, testified Tuesday.

He said that Gonzalez was shot ten times and probably died within two to three minutes.

Gonzalez’s sister said she hoped it would be fast. It was the first time she knew how many times her brother had been shot. It was very difficult for the family to watch the CCTV footage of the shooting.

When the state rests, the defense will make their case and likely call Acosta to testify.

A reward is being offered for the arrest of Abel Acosta.

Anyone with information on the teen’s whereabouts is advised to call the police at 972-485-4869.