A Garland father accused of helping his 14-year-old son carry out a deadly ambush in 2021 was found guilty of capital murder by a Dallas County jury on Friday.
Richard Acosta Jr., 35, was charged with capital murder for his role in a triple shooting at a Garland convenience store that claimed the lives of three teens on Dec. 26, 2021.
Acosta was to be automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jurors received the case at 10:37 a.m. Friday following impassioned closing arguments and delivered their guilty verdict at about 2:30 p.m.
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Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, who formed part of the prosecution, gave the first portion of closing arguments and explained why the state believes the man is guilty even though he did not pull the trigger.
"We deal with a lot of things here. And honestly, this is one of the most horrific ones I've ever seen," Creuzot told reporters.
Neither side disputes Acosta's son Abel is the person who murdered three teens and injured a fourth. The 14-year-old is seen on graphic surveillance videos getting out of his dad's pickup truck, creeping up to the store and opening fire.
The gunman shot 20 rounds and even moved in closer and shot the youngest victim at close range.
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"I watched my brother get shot 10 times," Ruby Gonzalez, Xavier Gonzalez's sister, said during victim impact statements. "I watched Abel look directly at him, cowering on the floor, covering himself with a chair, and shot him 10 times. Someone he had no relation to. And I watched his father feed ignorance to his son's actions."
The "law of parties'" applies in this case, Creuzot told jurors. A plan does not have to be pre-planned, it can be made at the moment.
Prosecutors are trying to prove Acosta Jr. encouraged and helped his son ambush people inside the taco shop, killing 14-year-old Xavier Gonzalez, 16-year-old Ivan Noyola and 17-year-old Rafael Garcia, and then was his son's getaway driver.
According to the law, the state does not have to prove the motive for the shooting, though the lead investigator testified the shooting appeared to have been in response to a previous shooting.
Acosta's counsel tried to convince jurors he did not know his son's intent, never saw him with a gun and did not see the shooting.
He sped away with his son in the truck, defense attorney Heath Harris told jurors, only because he heard shots fired and his son ran into the truck saying someone was shooting.
"If you're not sure [Acosta] knew, that is not enough to send a man to prison for the rest of his life," said defense attorney Stephanie Shackelford.
Acosta's defense repeatedly told jurors he too lost a child that night, which families of those killed say is insulting.
No one knows where Abel is or if he's alive, said Shackelford.
The defense also questioned whether two of the victims, Ivan and Rafael, were involved with gangs or criminal activity. By all accounts, Xavier did not have any link to anyone involved and was simply waiting for his food.
Acosta claimed he drove home that night and gave his son, who was acting like "a caged animal," time to calm down.
Abel, he claims, went upstairs to his room and ran away. The boy, who is now 15, is a fugitive. Police said they are actively searching for the teen and anyone who may be helping him.
"It is inexcusable, indefensible that this grown man took this grown man took his 14-year-old son and when the plan was hatched, he directed, he aided in the execution of those three boys," said Fargo.
"I agree with the family that we have gotten to half justice," said Jeff Braun, Garland Police Chief. "To get to full justice, we need Abel Acosta in custody, and we need help to get him in custody."
