50-year-old Telugu origin man was brutally killed by a Cuban immigrant in Dallas, Texas, over a minor scuffle over washing machines at a motel. The murderer, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, was arrested by the Dallas police.
Hyderabad: A 50-year-old Telugu origin man was brutally killed by a Cuban immigrant in Dallas, Texas, over a minor scuffle over washing machines at a motel. The murderer, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, was arrested by the Dallas police.
Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah was originally from Dharmavaram in Andhra Pradesh and was working as a motel manager at Downtown Suites, at 3422 block of Samuell Boulevard, near Interstate 30 and the Tenison golf course in Dallas.
Cobos-Martinez, who is identified as an immigrant from Cuba, also worked at the motel. Dallas police, in a press conference, said that Cobos-Martinez was previously charged for indecency with a child and assault, and was involved in multiple crimes.
According to the affidavit for arrest warrant issued by the Dallas police department, on September 10, Cobos-Martinez and a witness, who was not named, were cleaning one of the motel rooms, when Chandra Mouli approached them and asked Cobos-Martinez not to use the broken washing machine.
The witness said that Cobos-Martinez got upset that Chandra Mouli was not speaking to him, and instead was asking the witness to translate his words. Cobos-Martinez left the room, got a machete and began attacking Chandra Mouli viciously.
Chandra Mouli began screaming and ran to the front desk, where his wife Nisha and 18-year-old son Gaurav attempted to ward off Cobos-Martinez, but he pushed them off and continued attacking him. Furthermore, he took Chandra Mouli’s phone and keycard from his pockets, and continued attacking him until his head was cut off.
In a gruesome act, he proceeded to kick Chandra Mouli’s head twice in the motel’s parking space, before picking it up and throwing it in a dumpster. Cobos-Martinez was arrested by the Dallas police at 3250 Samuell Boulevard, while covered in blood and still wielding the machete.
The Dallas police charged Cobos-Martinez with capital punishment, and is currently in prison. Special Operations Executive Assistant Chief Terrence Rhodes, speaking with the media, said “This violent crime will not go unpunished, and our department will thoroughly investigate and bring charges against the suspect. Violent crime is not welcome in our city.”
In 2017, Cobos-Martinez was arrested in California’s South Lake Tahoe for attempting to carjack a 22-year-old woman while being naked. In 2018, he was arrested in Harris County and charged for indecency with a child, but the charges were dismissed. A few months later, he was charged with aggravated assault.
In 2023, Cobos-Martinez pleaded guilty for a misdemeanour assault and received a one-year sentence. The jury in California acquitted him for carjacking, but was placed on probation in August 2023, but Cobos-Martinez absconded.
The Consulate General of India in Houston condoled the death of Nagamallaiah and said it is following up on the matter closely. “We are in touch with the family and offering all possible assistance. The accused is in the custody of Dallas Police,” it said in a post on X.
Friends, family, and community groups have come together to support Nagamallaiah's family. A fundraiser set up by his friend Tanmay Patel has raised over $80,000 and is still ongoing.
Speaking with Deccan Chronicle, Nandri Sridhar, a core committee member of a Telugu association in Dallas said “It is a very tragic accident. We, and all Indian communities are standing with Chandra Mouli’s family, and will help them with any and all means. Dallas has a strong Indian population, and seeing one of us getting killed in such a gruesome manner has shocked us.”
