Cuban migrant charged with capital murder after beheading Dallas motel manager; family says he was treated like a slave
Relatives allege long hours and nonpayment; authorities say attack began over a dispute involving a broken washing machine at the Dallas motel
A Dallas motel worker is facing a capital murder charge after authorities say he decapitated his supervisor with a machete in a violent outbreak that began over a dispute about a broken washing machine.
Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, a Cuban national living in the United States illegally, was arrested in connection with the Sept. 10 slaying of Chandra Nagamallaiah, 50, at the motel where the two worked and lived. He was held without bond at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed a detainer had been placed on him.
Authorities described the attack as spilling from the guest rooms into the front office, with Nagamallaiah attempting to escape as Cobos-Martinez attacked with a machete. Nagamallaiah’s wife and two children watched in horror as the suspect allegedly continued the assault even after the manager tried to flee. Surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed Cobos-Martinez kicking what appeared to be a severed head across the parking lot and then dropping it into a dumpster. Witnesses said Nagamallaiah’s son tried to intervene with a bat but was unable to stop the attack. The killing appeared to have begun after Nagamallaiah asked Cobos-Martinez, through a translator, not to use a broken washing machine.
Cobos-Martinez’s relatives told Cuban outlets that he had long complained of not getting paid and working extreme hours. His mother, Odalis Martínez Rodríguez, told Marti Noticias that her son worked from 9 a.m. to midnight on many days and described him as feeling exploited and “a slave.” She said he wished to return to Cuba for medical care and noted that the island’s government would not accept him because of his criminal history. ICE said Cobos-Martinez entered the United States in 2016 under a permission to remain for one year, but he did not depart when the permission expired and has remained in the country illegally since that time.
Officials have noted Cobos-Martinez also faced a California probation violation and had an active warrant there. They described a broader pattern of prior law-enforcement interactions, including an alleged separate incident in which he carjacked a woman in South Lake Tahoe, California while reportedly naked. A spokesman for ICE said the agency had detained him on Jan. 13 and released him later because there was no significant likelihood of removal in the foreseeable future, and Cuba would not accept him due to his criminal history. Critics have pointed to changes in immigration enforcement during different administrations, but officials say Cobos-Martinez remained at large until the Dallas arrest.
The victim, Nagamallaiah, who was known online as Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, leaves behind a wife, Nisha, and an 18-year-old son, Gaurav, who had just completed high school and planned to start college this fall. The Indian community in Dallas has rallied around the family, arranging a fundraising drive that has raised more than $151,000 to cover funeral costs and short-term living expenses.
Cobos-Martinez’s family said they stand with Nagamallaiah’s relatives, calling the incident a tragedy and urging harsher penalties. They described the exchange that preceded the attack as a breakdown in working conditions, though prosecutors have not suggested any motive beyond the killings themselves.
As the investigation continues, Cobos-Martinez remains in custody on a capital murder charge, with authorities reiterating that the case involves a brutal, premeditated killing witnessed by Nagamallaiah’s family and captured on surveillance video. The motel continues to be cordoned off as investigators collect evidence and speak with neighbors and coworkers about the events of that morning. The case has drawn attention to the broader issue of migrant workers in the United States who may lack legal status and work-authorized protections, and it underscores the complexities surrounding immigration and law enforcement in a rapidly changing policy environment.