Chandramouli Nagamallaiah, a 50-year-old man of Indian heritage, was brutally beheaded in front of his wife and son during a violent confrontation at a motel in Dallas, Texas, according to police reports. The tragic event took place on the morning of September 10 at the Downtown Suites motel on Samuell Boulevard, east of Downtown Dallas. Law enforcement officials stated that the attacker, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, decapitated Nagamallaiah in front of his family during a heated dispute. Cobos-Martinez, who also worked at the motel, has been arrested and charged with capital murder. An arrest affidavit released on Thursday reveals that the altercation stemmed from a disagreement over a broken washing machine. Nagamallaiah reportedly told Cobos-Martinez and a female coworker not to use the machine while they were cleaning a room. The affidavit notes that Cobos-Martinez became furious because the message was relayed through the female colleague, who acted as a translator, rather than being communicated directly to him.
Video evidence cited in the affidavit shows Cobos-Martinez leaving the room, retrieving a machete, and attacking Nagamallaiah. A witness, another motel employee, told police, ‘He chased him from room 108 all the way to the office. The man was trying to get into the office to warn his family.’ Nagamallaiah ran, shouting towards the motel office where his wife and son were. They tried to intervene multiple times, but law enforcement reported that Cobos-Martinez forcefully pushed them aside and continued his assault. Investigators disclosed that the suspect later took Nagamallaiah’s cell phone and key card before resuming the attack until the victim’s head was completely severed. The affidavit also states that Cobos-Martinez kicked the victim’s head twice into the parking lot before picking it up and disposing of it in a dumpster.Dallas Fire-Rescue crews arriving at the scene spotted Cobos-Martinez still carrying the machete and covered in blood. They followed him until police arrived and arrested him. During interrogation, police said Cobos-Martinez admitted to the crime. He is now being held at Dallas County Jail on a capital murder charge, with records also showing an immigration hold.
