The search for a teenage triple murder suspect in a Garland convenience store shooting has been ongoing for two years this week, leaving the victims’ families without closure.
Abel Acosta was 14 years old when he allegedly entered a convenience store in December 2021 and fatally shot 17-year-old Rafael Garcia, 16-year-old Ivan Noyola, and 14-year-old Xavier Gonzalez. A fourth teen was also injured. Acosta reportedly had argued earlier with Garcia and Noyola, which suggests the shooting was targeted.
As previously covered in The Dallas Express, Acosta’s father, Richard Acosta, was tried and found guilty of knowingly acting as the wheelman and accomplice for his son in February 2023. He is currently serving a life sentence.
Richard Acosta’s white pickup truck had been spotted in surveillance footage from the scene, and he turned himself in to the authorities shortly thereafter.
Yet Acosta, now 16 years old, is still on the run and is believed to have fled to Mexico with help from his family.
Meanwhile, the family of Gonzalez, who had gone to the store to buy tacos that day, continues to mourn his death.
“It’s not fair how they took his life away,” Gonzalez’s mother, Lluneli Lopez, told Fox 4 KDFW. “It’s been hard for us that he’s not here.”
Although the hole left by her son will never be filled, Lopez, who still lives down the street from the scene of the shooting, wants closure.
“Because the person who took the life away from my son is still out there on the run,” she explained.
Anyone with information about Acosta’s whereabouts is encouraged to call 972-272-8477 (TIPS) or leave a message at www.garlandcrimestoppers.org.
In nearby Dallas, the murder rate has climbed by 14.7% year over year, with 242 criminal homicides logged as of December 27, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
DPD currently fields around 3,000 officers although a City analysis previously recommended closer to 4,000 officers to effectively manage crime in Dallas.
Downtown Dallas bears the brunt of this shortage, regularly logging higher crime rates — motor vehicle thefts especially — compared to neighboring Fort Worth, which is patrolled via a specialized neighborhood crime unit and private security guards.
