Wife and son watching, Indian-origin man beheaded at US motel; suspect illegal migrant, arrested

A 50-year-old Indian-origin man, Chandramouli (Chandra) Nagamallaiah, was brutally murdered in front of his wife and teenage son during a violent confrontation at a Dallas motel earlier this week. Police said the victim was beheaded with a machete by a colleague on Wednesday following an argument over the use of a broken washing machine.

The shocking incident unfolded on the morning of September 10 at the Downtown Suites Motel on Samuell Boulevard, east of Downtown Dallas, where Nagamallaiah worked as a manager.

According to an arrest affidavit released Thursday, the accused, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, who also worked at the motel, became enraged when Nagamallaiah instructed him not to use a malfunctioning washing machine. The victim reportedly relayed this message through a female colleague who acted as a translator rather than addressing Cobos-Martinez directly, which investigators believe triggered the suspect’s anger.

Security footage cited in the affidavit shows Cobos-Martinez leaving the motel room, pulling out a machete from his person and confronting Nagamallaiah. Witnesses reported that he then chased the victim across the property, forcing Nagamallaiah to run toward the motel office where his wife and 18-year-old son were present.

“They tried to intervene multiple times,” police said, noting that the suspect shoved the victim’s family aside and continued the assault. The affidavit further revealed that Cobos-Martinez stabbed and slashed Nagamallaiah repeatedly before finally decapitating him in front of his horrified loved ones.

Gruesome details in the affidavit state that the suspect kicked the victim’s head twice into the parking lot before picking it up and discarding it inside a dumpster. Dallas Fire-Rescue crews who arrived at the scene spotted Cobos-Martinez walking away still holding the machete and covered in blood. Police arrested him shortly afterward without further incident.

During interrogation, Cobos-Martinez allegedly confessed to the crime. He has been booked into the Dallas County Jail on a capital murder charge and is also subject to an immigration hold.

Court records show that Cobos-Martinez has a prior criminal history, including auto theft in Florida and assault and indecency with a child charges in Houston.

Images from the crime scene showed the motel cordoned off with police tape and investigators working near a covered body on the sidewalk.

The brutal killing has drawn strong reactions from the Indian community in Dallas and beyond. The Consulate General of India in Houston issued a statement expressing shock and grief over Nagamallaiah’s death.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic and brutal killing of Mr. Chandramouli Nagamallaiah at his workplace in Dallas. We are in touch with his family and offering all possible assistance. The accused is in police custody, and we are closely following up on the matter,” the consulate said in a post on X.

Consulate General of India, Houston, condoles the tragic death of Mr. 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.…

— India in Houston (@cgihou) September 11, 2025

Nagamallaiah, originally from Karnataka, India, had been living in the United States with his family. Friends and community members described him as a hardworking individual who supported his family through years of dedication to his job.

As the investigation continues, police say the violent dispute highlights both workplace tensions and the dangers posed by individuals with prior violent criminal histories.