Murder Most Foul: Indian-Origin Motel Manager in Dallas Beheaded With a Machete Allegedly By an Illegal Cuban

A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of capital murder after allegedly beheading a Dallas motel manager with a machete in a brutal attack that occurred Wednesday morning, according to court records and police reports.

The victim, identified as Chandra Nagamallaiah, 50, was the manager of the Downtown Suites motel located northeast of downtown Dallas. The suspect, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, was taken into custody covered in blood and armed with the machete allegedly used in the attack, according to an affidavit obtained by NBC News.

The violent altercation began when Nagamallaiah instructed Cobos-Martinez not to use a broken washing machine while he and a woman were cleaning a motel room. Court documents indicate that Cobos-Martinez became upset because Nagamallaiah didn’t speak to him directly and instead relied on the woman for translation.

Surveillance video captured Cobos-Martinez leaving the motel room, producing a machete and repeatedly cutting and stabbing Nagamallaiah. The victim fled to the motel’s front office, but the attacker followed and continued the assault.

The attack took place in front of Nagamallaiah’s wife and son, who attempted to intervene. However, Cobos-Martinez pushed them away and continued assaulting Nagamallaiah until “his head was removed from his body,” according to the affidavit.

Cobos-Martinez kicked Nagamallaiah’s head into the parking lot, then picked it up and placed it in a dumpster.

Court documents reveal disturbing details about the aftermath: Cobos-Martinez kicked Nagamallaiah’s head into the parking lot, then picked it up and placed it in a dumpster.

First responders observed Cobos-Martinez fleeing the scene and pursued him. Officers arrested him approximately one block away from the motel. In addition to the machete, Cobos-Martinez was found with Nagamallaiah’s key card and cellphone, which he had taken from the victim’s pockets.

Cobos-Martinez is being held without bond in the Dallas County Jail on an immigration detainer, with jail records identifying him as an undocumented immigrant. According to the affidavit, Cobos-Martinez admitted to the killing during an interview with authorities.

Immigration Status

The Department of Homeland Security identified Cobos-Martinez as a Cuban national with a final order of removal from the United States. He was previously detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility west of Dallas but was released on an order of supervision in January after Cuba “would not accept him because of his criminal history.”s

The Consulate General of India in Houston issued a statement on social media platform X, saying: “Consulate General of India, Houston, condoles the tragic death of Chandra Nagamallaiah, an Indian National, killed brutally at his workplace in Dallas, Tx. We are in touch with the family and offering all possible assistance. The accused is in the custody of Dallas” police.

Nagamallaiah, originally from Karnataka, India, was described by those who knew him as a dedicated family man. Friends and family fondly called him ‘Bob’ and remember him as a devoted husband, loving father, and kind soul.

The Dallas Police Department continues to investigate the incident, which has shocked the local Indian-American community and highlighted ongoing concerns about workplace safety and immigration enforcement policies.

(Top image, Chandra Nagamallaiah, left, and the attacker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez).