A 50-year-old Indian-origin motel manager, Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah, popularly known as 'Bob', was brutally beheaded in Dallas in a shocking act of violence that reportedly stemmed from a minor workplace argument over a washing machine. The horrific murder took place on Wednesday morning in front of the victim's wife and son. Police have arrested a co-worker, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, and charged him with capital murder in a case that has left a family shattered and a community in profound shock.
The tragic chain of events unfolded at the Downtown Suites motel, which Nagamallaiah managed and where he also lived with his family. According to Dallas Police, the confrontation began over a malfunctioning washing machine. When Nagamallaiah used a third person to help translate his instructions, it reportedly angered Cobos-Martinez. What happened next was captured on surveillance video: Cobos-Martinez allegedly retrieved a machete, chased Nagamallaiah, and began a vicious attack, even as the victim's terrified wife and 18-year-old son tried desperately to intervene.
The full, gruesome nature of the crime was laid bare in a police affidavit cited by media outlets. The document alleges that Cobos-Martinez relentlessly stabbed and slashed at Nagamallaiah, pursuing him as he fled towards the motel's front office. The assault continued, the affidavit states, "until his head was removed from his body." The suspect is then alleged to have taken Nagamallaiah's cellphone and key card from his pockets before kicking the severed head into the parking lot, picking it up, and throwing it into a dumpster. First responders spotted Cobos-Martinez attempting to flee the scene and arrested him just a block away.
The accused, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, is a Cuban national with a history of arrests for assault and auto theft. He is currently being held without bond in the Dallas County Jail and is also under an immigration detainer. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he had previously been released from custody because Cuba declined to accept his return due to his criminal record. If convicted of the capital murder charge, he faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah, known affectionately as "Bob," was originally from Karnataka and was described by friends and relatives as a devoted husband, a caring father, and a kind individual who was deeply respected within his community. In the wake of the tragedy, a fundraiser has been launched to provide support for his grieving wife and son, with the funds intended to help with funeral expenses, immediate living needs, and his son’s future education, a testament to the high regard in which he was held.
· Horrific Murder: An Indian-origin motel manager, Chandra Nagamallaiah, was beheaded in Dallas, allegedly by a co-worker, in front of his wife and son.
· Mundane Motive: The deadly confrontation was reportedly sparked by a minor workplace dispute over a malfunctioning washing machine.
· Suspect with Criminal Past: The arrested suspect, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, is a Cuban national with a history of violent crime who is now facing a capital murder charge.
· Community Rallies in Support: A fundraiser has been established to support the victim's family, who are mourning the loss of a man described as a devoted husband and father.
