In a horrific incident at the Downtown Suites motel in Dallas, Texas, a 50-year-old Indian-origin manager, Chandra Nagamallaiah, was fatally attacked with a machete on September 10, 2025. The Dallas Police Department reported that the assault occurred following a dispute at the motel, located on Samuell Boulevard near Interstate 30 and the Tenison Golf Course. Nagamallaiah was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining multiple wounds from an edged weapon.
The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a fellow motel employee, was arrested and charged with capital murder. According to an arrest affidavit cited by Fox 4 News, the altercation began when Nagamallaiah instructed Cobos-Martinez and a female colleague not to use a malfunctioning washing machine. The situation escalated when Nagamallaiah communicated through the female colleague as a translator, which reportedly angered Cobos-Martinez. Surveillance footage captured the suspect retrieving a machete and pursuing Nagamallaiah across the motel parking lot.
Nagamallaiah attempted to flee to the motel office, where his wife and son were present, but Cobos-Martinez continued the attack. Despite efforts by the victim’s family to intervene, the suspect persisted, ultimately beheading Nagamallaiah. CCTV footage, as reported by CBS News Texas, showed Cobos-Martinez kicking the victim’s head across the parking lot before placing it in a dumpster. Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel, who were nearby, trailed the blood-covered suspect until police apprehended him.
Cobos-Martinez, still armed with the machete and in possession of Nagamallaiah’s key card and cellphone, admitted to the killing during police questioning, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. He is currently held without bond in Dallas County Jail, with an immigration detainer due to his status as an undocumented Cuban national. The Indian community in Dallas has rallied to support Nagamallaiah’s family, raising funds for funeral costs and their son’s education.
