Illegal immigrant allegedly beheaded motel manager with machete, kicked head ‘like a soccer ball’
Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, allegedly beheaded his manager, Chandra Nagamallaiah, at a Downtown Suites motel in Dallas on Wednesday morning. Dallas County Jail
A Cuban national previously released from U.S. immigration custody has been arrested and charged with capital murder after allegedly killing a Dallas motel manager in a violent machete attack witnessed by the victim’s family.
Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, was taken into custody on Wednesday following the fatal assault of Chandra Nagamallaiah, 50, at the Downtown Suites motel where both men worked.
According to an arrest affidavit, the incident began when Nagamallaiah instructed Cobos-Martinez and another employee not to use a broken washing machine. Cobos-Martinez reportedly became upset after the manager asked the other employee to translate the message into Spanish.
Surveillance footage cited in the affidavit reportedly shows Cobos-Martinez leaving the room, retrieving a machete, and attacking Nagamallaiah. The victim ran to the motel office—where his wife and son were located—but the suspect continued the assault. Despite attempts by the family to intervene, police say Cobos-Martinez fatally wounded Nagamallaiah, ultimately resulting in decapitation.
Witnesses told authorities they saw Cobos-Martinez kick the victim’s head into the parking lot before disposing of it in a dumpster. Police later found the suspect a few blocks away, covered in blood and still holding the weapon. During a recorded interview, he allegedly admitted to the killing.
Cobos-Martinez was previously held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas. According to an ICE spokesperson, he was released on January 13, 2025, after Cuba refused to accept him back due to his criminal history.
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