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The new episode of Taking the Stand follows the trial of Richard Acosta, Jr., who was convicted of capital murder, not because he pulled the trigger, but because he drove his 14-year-old son, Abel Acosta, to the location.
Taking the Stand is set to air on May 28, 2025, at 10:01 pm ET/PT on A&E, focusing on a deeply unsettling case out of Garland, Texas. Back in December 2021, just one day after Christmas, a shooting at a local convenience store claimed the lives of three teenagers. A 15-year-old store employee was also hit but managed to survive.
Abel allegedly stepped out of their truck, walked into the store, and opened fire, killing Xavier Gonzalez, Ivan Noyala, and Rafael Garcia. After the shots were fired, he ran back to the vehicle, and his father drove off.
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Richard later told investigators he had no idea what his son was planning. He claimed the stop was just to grab some Tylenol for his pregnant wife. But prosecutors pushed a different narrative. They said the truck was caught on surveillance footage idling outside during the gunfire, and digital evidence pointed to him staying put until his son returned.
In 2023, 34-year-old Richard Acosta, Jr. was found guilty for his involvement in a December 2021 shooting that resulted in the deaths of three teenagers
On May 28, 2025, A&E will air the Taking the Stand episode titled Richard Acosta, revisiting the circumstances surrounding a deadly shooting in Garland, Texas, and the legal case that followed.
Richard Acosta, Jr., 34, was found guilty of capital murder in February 2023 for driving his son, Abel Acosta, to and from the scene of a fatal attack that killed three teenagers and injured a fourth on December 26, 2021.
Authorities stated that surveillance footage captured Abel, then 14 years old, exiting a white truck in front of a convenience store, walking to the entrance, and firing at a group of teenagers inside. Xavier Gonzalez (14), Ivan Noyala (16), and Rafael Garcia (17) were killed.
A 15-year-old store employee was also shot but survived. According to prosecutors, Richard Acosta, Jr., remained in the driver’s seat with the vehicle idling while the shooting occurred and then drove his son away immediately after.
Acosta turned himself in the following day and was indicted by a grand jury in February 2022. He denied knowing his son was armed or planning to commit violence, claiming their stop at the store was to purchase medicine. However, as CBS News reported on February 11, 2023, prosecutors argued that Acosta sought to dispose of evidence and tried to move his family from Garland.
Legal arguments and disputed claims at trial
During the trial, which drew widespread media coverage, prosecutors presented phone records, forensic evidence, and surveillance footage to support their claim that Richard Acosta, Jr. knowingly acted as a getaway driver.
According to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reporting dated February 8, 2023, detectives traced phone tower data and fingerprint evidence confirming Acosta’s vehicle was on the scene during the shooting. His white pickup truck was seen pausing in front of the store multiple times before and after the attack.
Richard Acosta, Jr.'s defense, led by attorney Heath Harris, argued he was unaware of his son’s intent. Harris told FOX 4 in a February 5, 2023, report,
“We firmly believe that the credible evidence is going to show that he did not know and is not a party to this horrific shooting that his son committed.”
The defense also claimed that the incident stemmed from a gang-related conflict that the father was not involved in or aware of.
Despite his claims, the jury deliberated for less than four hours before returning a guilty verdict. Under Texas law, an individual can be convicted of capital murder if they aid or abet in the commission of the crime, even if they don’t personally carry it out. Richard Acosta, Jr. received a life sentence without the chance of parole, as the prosecution chose not to pursue the death penalty in his case.
Abel Acosta remains at large
Abel Acosta fled shortly after the shooting and has not been seen since. Authorities believe he may have fled to Mexico and consider him armed and dangerous. The Garland Police Department, in a statement shared by AP News on February 12, 2023, said,
“We are only halfway to justice… We will not stop until Abel Acosta is captured.”
The Taking the Stand episode titled Richard Acosta will present the full courtroom arc of the father’s trial, including his testimony and the prosecution’s effort to prove his complicity.
As the series explores the case through the words of the accused, viewers will see how Richard Acosta, Jr.’s version of events holds up under cross-examination. The episode airs Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 10:01 pm ET/PT on A&E, with streaming available the following day.
Stay tuned for more updates.
