NEW DELHI, Sept 12: An Indian manager from Karnataka was attacked with a machete and brutally beheaded by a Cuban immigrant allegedly after an argument with his employee at a motel in the US city of Dallas, Texas.
The incident took place on Wednesday when 50-year-old Chandra Nagamallaiah, the Indian manager who managed the Downtown Suites motel on Samuell Boulevard, east of Downtown, reportedly told Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a 37-year-old Cuban immigrant, not to use the broken washing machine. Cobos-Martinez was upset as Nagamallaiah asked another employee to translate his instructions instead of addressing him directly.
The accused, who has been arrested, has a violent criminal history and was recently released from custody. In CCTV footage that has gone viral, the killer can be seen chasing Nagamallaiah with a machete in the motel corridor. Nagamallaiah’s screams alerted his wife and 18-year-old son, who tried to intervene several times, but Cobos-Martinez pushed them away and continued the assault.
The accused then decapitated the victim and kicked his head. At one point, Nagamallaiah’s son– seen in a yellow shirt– brings a baseball bat. But by that time, his father seems to have gone still. The video showed Cobos-Martinez picking up the severed head and carrying it to the dumpster. He was arrested as he was leaving the dumpster area, covered in blood, carrying the machete.
The Indian Consulate condoled the “tragic” death of Nagamallaiah and said he was “killed brutally” at his workplace. “We are in touch with the family and offering all possible assistance. The accused is in the custody of Dallas Police. We are following up on the matter closely,” the Consulate posted on X.
Cobos-Martinez, who has been charged with capital murder, reportedly has a prior criminal history in Houston, including arrests for auto theft and assault, is being held without bond. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty.
An arrest document released by the police on Thursday revealed that Cobos-Martinez was involved in an argument on Wednesday morning with the victim. A witness told the police that she was cleaning a room with Cobos-Martinez when Nagamallaiah came and told them not to use the washing machine, as it was broken. The witness said the Cobos-Martinez became upset with Nagamallaiah for having her “translate the communication instead of speaking to [Cobos-Martinez] directly”. He then took out a machete and started chasing Nagamallaiah.
Another witness told CBS Texas the accused man chased the victim “from 108 all the way to the office. The man was trying to get into the office to tell his family.” Police said after beheading Nagamallaiah, “the suspect then kicked his head twice into the parking lot and proceeded to pick it up and carry it to the dumpster and put it inside.”
As Cobos-Martinez walked away from the scene, a Dallas Fire-Rescue (DRF) truck arrived, and the personnel saw Cobos-Martinez still carrying the machete and covered in blood. The DFR unit followed Cobos-Martinez until police officers were able to take him into custody.
Known as Bob to friends and family, Nagamallaiah was remembered as a loving husband, devoted father, and kind soul who touched the lives of everyone he knew. “This unimaginable tragedy was not only sudden but deeply traumatic,” friends said. “Bob’s life was taken in a brutal attack that occurred in front of his wife and son, who bravely tried to protect him. The shocking nature of this event has shaken our community.” Friends, family, and the local Indian community are coming together to support his family.
(Manas Dasgupta)