A Dallas man has been charged with capital murder after a deadly machete attack at a local motel left one man dead in what police described as a beheading.
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Authorities identified the victim as 50-year-old Chandra Nagamallaiah and the suspect as 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, according to the Dallas Police Department.
Officers were called to the Downtown Suites motel around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday for a reported stabbing. An arrest affidavit says the confrontation began when Nagamallaiah advised Cobos-Martinez not to use a broken washing machine. Witnesses told investigators the suspect became angry after Nagamallaiah asked another person to help translate rather than speaking to him directly.
Surveillance footage shows Cobos-Martinez leaving the room, retrieving a machete, and attacking Nagamallaiah as he tried to flee toward the motel’s front office. Witnesses said the assault continued even after the victim collapsed, as family members attempted to intervene.
Police arrived quickly and took Cobos-Martinez into custody. Despite being armed, he was apprehended without further injuries to others, officials said.
Dallas Police Executive Assistant Chief Terrence Rhodes called the killing “a horrific act of violence,” adding that detectives are working to ensure justice for the victim and his loved ones.
Cobos-Martinez is being held in the Dallas County Jail on a capital murder charge as the investigation continues.