Dallas police have charged [1] an illegal alien released from federal custody earlier this year with capital murder after a brutal killing at a motel in Old East Dallas.
Authorities said the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez of Cuba, used a machete to stab and behead a 50-year-old motel manager on Wednesday morning.
DALLAS HORROR: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BEHEADS MOTEL MANAGER, KICKS HEAD “LIKE SOCCER BALL”
Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, decapitated his boss with a machete after an argument about a broken washing machine at a Dallas motel.
The Cuban national chased Chandra Nagamallaiah, 50, into… pic.twitter.com/UGKn3s74Xj [2]
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 12, 2025 [3]
The attack occurred around 9:30 a.m. at the Downtown Suites motel, located just off Interstate 30 near the Tenison Golf Course.
Police said the victim, identified as Chandra Nagamallaiah, was stabbed repeatedly before being decapitated. Dallas Fire-Rescue arrived on scene and pronounced the victim dead.
According to investigators, surveillance video showed Cobos-Martinez kicking the victim’s severed head across the motel parking lot, then picking it up and throwing it into a dumpster.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin confirmed that Cobos-Martinez had previously been in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody but was released into the interior of the United States on January 13, 2025, just one week before President Donald Trump was sworn into office.
Cobos-Martinez has a criminal record spanning multiple states. Records reviewed by Fox News show past charges including:
- False imprisonment in California (outcome unclear)
- Indecency with a child in Texas (dismissed)
- Grand theft of a vehicle in Florida (dismissed)
- Carjacking and false imprisonment in California (acquitted on carjacking, convicted of false imprisonment)
Despite the prior record, Cobos-Martinez remained free until the Dallas incident.
Dallas County, TX: Yesterday, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez was arrested for Capital Murder in the death of Chandra Nagamallaiah.
He has an immigration detainer hold.
Cobos-Martinez, who was working at a motel, is accused of decapitating Nagamallaiah with a machete after… pic.twitter.com/MD8SYxVomh [4]
— Illegal Alien Crimes (@ImmigrantCrimes) September 11, 2025 [5]
Local media outlets reported a heavy police presence around the crime scene on Wednesday, with aerial footage showing crime scene tape surrounding the motel and partitions placed around the victim’s body on the sidewalk.
Detectives said the weapon used was an edged object, confirmed later to be a machete.
Dallas police confirmed that Cobos-Martinez was arrested and has been charged with capital murder.
He is being held as the investigation continues.
This case has intensified focus on federal immigration policies in the months leading up to the transition of power earlier this year.
According to ICE records cited by Fox News, Cobos-Martinez was among a group of detainees released in the final days of the Biden Administration.
The homicide marks one of the most gruesome acts of violence in Dallas in recent years.
Authorities have not indicated any prior connection between Cobos-Martinez and the victim, who managed the Downtown Suites motel where the attack occurred.
Community members expressed shock at the killing, which unfolded in broad daylight in a visible area near one of Dallas’s busiest highways.
Police have urged anyone with additional information about Cobos-Martinez or the incident to contact homicide detectives.
The FBI has also been notified of the case due to the suspect’s immigration status and the severity of the crime.
Local officials confirmed Thursday that they are coordinating with federal agencies to review how Cobos-Martinez was released despite his criminal history.
Cobos-Martinez is currently awaiting arraignment on capital murder charges in Dallas County.