The accused, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, allegedly used a machete to attack Nagamallaiah following a dispute over the use of a broken washing machine at the motel.
Published Sep 13, 2025 | 12:15 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 13, 2025 | 12:15 PM
Yordanis Cobos-Martinez. (Homeland Security)
Synopsis: The 50-year-old Indian national, Chandra Mouli Nagamalliah, reportedly from Karnataka, working as a motel manager in the United States was hacked to death at his workplace in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday. The incident came to light on Friday morning after CCTV footage of the assault went viral on social media.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday, 12 September, announced they have started the process for the removal of Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a immigrant from Cuba, who has been accused of murdering and decapitating an Indian origin man, in Dallas, Texas, United States of America.
The 50-year-old Indian national, Chandra Mouli Nagamalliah, reportedly from Karnataka, working as a motel manager in the United States was hacked to death at his workplace in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday. The incident came to light on Friday morning after CCTV footage of the assault went viral on social media.
The agency in a statement noted, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today announced it lodged a detainer for the federal arrest and removal of a criminal illegal alien from Cuba who was taken into custody by local authorities in Dallas, Texas on homicide charges.”
The statement further noted that, “Yordanis Cobos-Martinez has a past final order of removal to Cuba. He was most recently in ICE Dallas custody at the Bluebonnet Detention Center until he was released on an Order of Supervision on January 13, 2025—under the Biden administration. This barbaric criminal was released because Cuba would not accept him because of his criminal history.”
Noting the accused’s past criminal history, the statement read: “On September 10, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez—an illegal alien from Cuban with a rap sheet including child sex abuse, grand theft of a motor vehicle, false imprisonment and carjacking—was arrested by Dallas Police Department at a motel in Dallas for murder.”
The accused, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, allegedly used a machete to attack Nagamallaiah following a dispute over the use of a broken washing machine at the motel, NBC News reported, citing court documents.
CCTV footage shows the accused repeatedly stabbing and slashing Nagamallaiah inside the motel premises, even as the victim attempted to escape and his wife and son tried to intervene.
The footage further shows Cobos-Martinez continuing the assault until Nagamallaiah was decapitated, after which the head rolled into the parking lot. Cobos-Martinez then picked up the head and placed it in a dumpster as first responders arrived at the scene.
He reportedly fled soon after and was arrested a short distance away, covered in blood and carrying the machete, along with the victim’s key card and cellphone.
Meanwhile, funeral services for Nagamallaiah are scheduled for Saturday. A fundraiser has been launched to support the family with funeral expenses, immediate living costs, and his son’s education.
