NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Dallas, TX, September 11, 2025:A horrifying act of violence at an East Dallas motel left 50-year-old Chandra Nagamallaiah dead and his family and community reeling.
Police said Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the killing at the Downtown Suites motel on Samuell Boulevard. He was arrested at the scene covered in blood and armed with a machete.
According to an arrest affidavit, a witness told investigators that she and Cobos-Martinez were cleaning a motel room when Nagamallaiah approached and asked Cobos-Martinez not to use a broken washing machine. The victim spoke to the woman to translate, which allegedly angered the suspect, who demanded Nagamallaiah speak to him directly.
Surveillance video captured Cobos-Martinez leaving the room, pulling out a machete, and attacking Nagamallaiah, who attempted to flee toward the motel office.
The affidavit says Cobos-Martinez repeatedly struck Nagamallaiah, pausing during the assault to go through the victim’s pockets and take several items. Nagamallaiah’s wife and son desperately tried to intervene but were pushed back multiple times.
Investigators said Cobos-Martinez kicked Nagamallaiah’s severed head twice into the motel parking lot before picking it up, carrying it to a dumpster, and placing it inside.
Eyewitness Stephanie Elliott told WFAA she saw the suspect stabbing the victim with the machete. “He just kept hitting him and hitting until he decapitated him,” Elliott said. “I could not believe that anybody would do another human being that way.”
Cobos-Martinez confessed to the killing during a recorded interview, police said. Jail records show he is a Cuban national being held under an ICE detainer, with prior criminal history in Houston, California, and Florida.
What began as a dispute over a broken appliance has now left a family shattered and the community mourning the senseless loss of a husband and father. Police continue to investigate as Cobos-Martinez remains in custody facing a capital murder charge.
A GoFundMe campaign launched in Nagamallaiah’s memory describes him as “Bob” to friends and family — a loving husband, devoted father, and kind soul who touched the lives of everyone around him. He leaves behind his wife, Nisha, and 18-year-old son, Gaurav, who recently graduated high school and hopes to study Hospitality Management in college, inspired by his father’s generosity and hard work. The fundraiser notes that the tragedy unfolded in front of his wife and son, leaving them deeply traumatized. Proceeds will go toward funeral and memorial expenses, immediate living costs, and supporting Gaurav’s college education.
