Innocent victim's family still seeks answers in 2021 Garland Texaco triple-murder
Triple-murder suspect still at large 4 years later
Four years ago, a 14-year-old boy murdered several teens with the help of his father at a Texaco gas station in Garland.
GARLAND, Texas - Four years ago, a 14-year-old boy murdered several teens with the help of his father at a Texaco gas station in Garland.
It was a shocking story that people in North Texas still talk about, and one that police say has not closed.
Garland Texaco murders
Ivan Noyola, Xavier Gonzalez and Rafael Garcia
It’s now been four years since then-14-year-old Abel Acosta shot and killed three teenagers inside the Texaco convenience store in the 700 block of Walnut Street.
Two of the teens, Ivan Noyala and Rafael Garcia, had prior run-ins with Acosta. The third victim, Xavier Gonzalez, was an innocent bystander, simply there to buy tacos for his family.
Victim's family seeks answers
The Christmas season will never again be traditional for Lluneli Lopez. Her family’s day-after-Christmas routine now revolves around visiting the cemetery where Xavier, her son, is buried.
"The teenager who did it, he’s still out on the run, and nobody has said nothing, and we haven’t got no answers from it all," Lopez said.
2 years later, search continues for Garland convenience store shooting suspect who killed 3 teens
It’s now been two years since Xavier Gonzalez went to a Texaco convenience store in Garland to buy tacos for his family. The 14-year-old never made it home. The search is on for now-16-year-old Abel Acosta, the suspected shooter. But investigators fear he may not be in the country anymore.
"And what we miss about him, joking around, making everybody laugh, because that’s what he would do. Have everybody happy. And now without him, it’s not the same anymore," Lopez said.
Acosta’s father, Richard Acosta, is serving a life prison sentence for driving his son to commit the murders. It’s believed Abel Acosta is hiding in Mexico.
"The family is helping him out. I just can’t believe how a mother and a father would keep him out hiding and don’t turn him in," said Lopez.
Where is Abel Acosta?
The Garland Police Department says its search for Abel Acosta is still active, and receiving help from federal law enforcement. Shows like America’s Most Wanted have highlighted the search. Acosta is now 18 years old.
"The last thing that I knew about him was that he was not here, that he was in Mexico," said Lopez.
Garland PD says it still gets leads and investigates them all. Four years after the shooting, Gonzalez’ family hopes tips continue to come in.
Garland Convenience Store Shooting: Accused shooter’s father found guilty, sentenced to life in prison
Richard Acosta was found guilty of capital murder in the shooting on Dec. 26, 2021 that killed 14-year-old Xavier Gonzalez, 17-year-old Rafael Garcia and 16-year-old Ivan Noyala. The accused shooter, Abel Acosta, is still on the run.
"Don’t be scared. Just come out and say where he’s at. It’s not fair. A 14-year-old took my son’s life away for no reason," Lopez said.
Garland CrimeStoppers has $17,000 in reward money. Acosta’s family lives in North Texas. In a tongue-in-cheek social media post, CrimeStoppers says it would like to provide Acosta’s mother "the privilege to see her son again by giving her the opportunity to visit him in prison."
The Source: Information in this article comes from the family of Xavier Gonzalez.