Three teenagers were shot dead at a gas station on the day after Christmas. More than three years later, the suspected gunman is still out there — and federal authorities are now sweetening the pot to find him.
The FBI and the Garland Police Department announced this week that they’ve increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Abel Elias Acosta to $50,000. Acosta, now 18, is wanted in connection with a triple murder that shook the Dallas-area city of Garland, Texas, on December 26, 2021 — and has been a fugitive ever since. The case has dragged on long enough that the boy accused of pulling the trigger has grown into a man. The families of his alleged victims are still waiting.
What Happened That Night
According to investigators, Acosta opened fire at a Texaco gas station in the 700 block of West Walnut Street in Garland, killing three teenagers — aged 14, 16, and 17. They were kids, in other words. Gone before the new year even arrived. Acosta himself was a teenager at the time, which didn’t make the alleged crime any less devastating for the community that reported the chaos of that night to police.
Garland Police Chief Jeff Bryan didn’t mince words about what the delay has meant for those left behind. “For the family, friends, and the entire community, this case remains a wound that cannot begin to heal until justice is served,” Bryan said in a statement. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to pursuing that justice, and we are grateful for the continued partnership of the FBI and all agencies working alongside us.”
A Father’s Role — and His Conviction
Here’s where it gets grimmer. Acosta didn’t disappear on his own. Authorities say his father, Richard Acosta Jr., drove his son both to and from the scene of the shooting — and then helped him flee to Mexico. Richard Acosta Jr. turned himself in just one day after the killings, claiming he hadn’t known his son had a gun or that anyone had been shot. A jury didn’t buy it. In 2023, he was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Still, the younger Acosta remains at large. A federal arrest warrant has been issued charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, and authorities are emphatic: he is considered armed and dangerous. That’s not boilerplate. Given the nature of the alleged crime, it’s a warning worth taking seriously.
The FBI’s Appeal to the Public
So why the renewed push now? Rewards tend to get bumped when leads go cold and investigators need fresh eyes. FBI Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rohrock made clear that the agency believes Acosta’s roots could be his undoing. “We know he has longstanding ties to the Garland area,” Rohrock stated, “and we ask anyone with information to contact the FBI. The FBI will continue to work with our partners at the Garland Police Department to bring justice to the victims’ families and the Garland community.”
Ties to home have a way of pulling people back — or at least keeping them connected. It’s a detail investigators are clearly banking on.
How to Submit a Tip
Anyone with information on Acosta’s whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI’s national tip line at 1-800-225-5324, the Dallas Field Office directly at 972-559-5000, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. For those with information from outside the United States, the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate can also receive tips. A $50,000 reward awaits anyone whose information leads to an arrest.
Three families have spent more than three years without answers — or closure. That’s a long time to wait for something as basic as an arrest. And somewhere, allegedly, an 18-year-old knows exactly why they’re still waiting.
