Indian-Origin Man Beheaded At US Motel In Front Of Wife, Son Suspect Arrested With Machete

In a horrifying incident, a 50-year-old Indian-origin man, Chandramouli Nagamallaiah, was brutally beheaded in front of his wife and son during a violent altercation at a Dallas motel, authorities revealed. The chilling attack unfolded on the morning of September 10 at the Downtown Suites Motel on Samuell Boulevard, just east of Downtown Dallas.

According to Dallas Police, the suspect, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, who also worked at the motel, attacked Nagamallaiah with a machete following a heated dispute. He has been arrested and charged with capital murder.

An arrest affidavit disclosed Thursday revealed that the killing stemmed from a trivial quarrel over a broken washing machine. Nagamallaiah had reportedly instructed Cobos-Martinez and a female colleague not to use the faulty machine while they were cleaning a motel room. The message, delivered through the female colleague acting as a translator, allegedly enraged Cobos-Martinez who felt slighted that Nagamallaiah had not addressed him directly.

Surveillance footage cited in the affidavit shows the suspect storming out of the room, drawing a machete“from his person,” and launching a merciless assault.

A witness, another motel employee, recalled the chilling chase,“He chased him from 108 all the way to the office. The man was trying to get into the office to tell his family.”

Nagamallaiah, screaming for help, ran toward the motel office where his wife and son were present. In a desperate attempt, they tried to intervene, but police said Cobos-Martinez shoved them aside and continued his attack.

Investigators said Cobos-Martinez stripped Nagamallaiah of his phone and key card before resuming his brutal onslaught until the victim's head was severed from his body. The affidavit further notes the suspect kicked the head twice into the parking lot before tossing it into a dumpster.

Shocking images from the crime scene showed the motel cordoned off with police tape, and a body lying near the sidewalk shielded by a temporary partition.

When Dallas Fire-Rescue crews arrived, Cobos-Martinez was still armed with the machete and drenched in blood. They tracked him until police arrived and placed him under arrest. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime.

Authorities confirmed he is now being held at Dallas County Jail on a capital murder charge, with an additional immigration hold placed against him.

Records show Cobos-Martinez has a checkered criminal past, including auto theft charges in Florida and prior arrests in Houston for assault and indecency with a child.

Indian Consulate condoles "tragic" death

The Indian Consulate condoled the "tragic" death of Nagamallaiah and said he was "killed brutally" at his workplace.

"We are in touch with the family and offering all possible assistance. The accused is in the custody of Dallas Police. We are following up on the matter closely," the Consulate posted 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

MENAFN12092025007385015968ID1110052075