Search continues for Garland teen accused of killing 3 teenagers in 2021 shooting

GARLAND, Texas - Garland police say detectives are going through data and following every lead they can to track down the teen wanted for killing three others at a Texaco in 2021.

Abel Acosta remains on the run. Police believe his family is helping him hide, and detectives want to find and arrest him.

Xavier Gonzalez would be turning 16 years old on Tuesday, but his life ended the day after Christmas 2021. 

"We don’t have him here. We’re not going to have that smile that we always see all the time," said his mom, Lluneli Lopez.

Gonzalez was one of three teens shot and killed inside a Texaco convenience store in Garland. He was an innocent bystander buying tacos for his family. 

The alleged shooter, 14-year-old Abel Acosta, reportedly had issues with the two other teens killed, Rafael Garcia and Ivan Noyala. 

Abel is still on-the-run.

"And then we haven’t got no answer, no nothing, about him," Lopez said.

Garland police investigators say they get questioned: How can a 14-year-old, who is now a 15-year-old boy, disappear? 

Detective Lucas Shupe maintains that based upon cell phone data evidence, Abel’s family helped him escape North Texas.

"I don’t believe a mom has no idea where her now 15-year-old son is. I think she knows where he is," Shupe said. "And I think she had knowledge about how they got him there as well."

But the Acosta family is uncooperative, according to Shupe. 

Abel’s father, Richard Acosta, was convicted of capital murder in February and is serving a life sentence in prison. Richard was his son’s getaway driver.

Shupe says some good tips came in about Abel’s whereabouts.

"I think it’s a very good possibility he is in Mexico," he said. "Some of it was pretty promising. Looked like there may have been some good sightings of him."

However, some sightings were only people who look similar to Abel.

Shupe says investigators are now using new data mining technology.

"Is there anything that we missed that could help us. Oh, okay. Hey, on this date his mom talked to this person and then track down who that person is and vice versa. And we’ve done a lot of that already," he said. "But we’re looking back at the same thing, seeing is there something that we missed."

"Nobody wants to talk about him," Lopez said. "Nobody wants to give no answer, and it’s not fair."

Xavier’s family hopes more people come forward.

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Family of teen killed in Garland convenience store shooting still hoping his killer is caught

The families of three murdered teenagers are still left with no answers about where the accused shooter is, even after his own father was convicted for his role in the capital murders at a convenience store in Garland back in 2021.

"To please come out and talk and give him up. Say where he’s at," Lopez said.

Tuesday, the family will celebrate Xavier’s birthday, wishing he was still here.

Xavier’s family will have a birthday celebration for him at his gravesite on Tuesday.

Garland police department asks anyone with information about Abel, no matter how small, to call them. There is reward money available for info leading to an arrest.