Summary:
- Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah was beheaded by coworker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez.
- Trump vowed first-degree murder charges,criticized Biden for suspect’s prior release.
- A fundraiser for Nagamallaiah’s family has raised over $321,000.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP condemned the beheading of Indian-origin hotel manager Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah in Dallas, allegedly by undocumented Cuban immigrant coworker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37. He blamed the Biden administration for allowing Cobos-Martinez back into the community.
Nagamallaiah’s funeral was held on Sept. 13 in Flower Mound, Texas, attended by family, friends and community members.
“I am aware of the terrible reports regarding the murder of Chandra Nagamallaiah, a well-respected person in Dallas, Texas, who was brutally beheaded, in front of his wife and son, by an illegal alien from Cuba who should have never been in our country,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.
Nagamallaiah, known as “Bob,” managed the Downtown Suites motel on Samuell Boulevard in Dallas for the past five years. According to his Facebook profile, he studied at Indiranagar Cambridge School and National College in Bengaluru’s Basavanagudi. He moved to the U.S. in 2018, first living in San Antonio before settling in Dallas, according to NDTV.
He is survived by his wife, Nisha and their 18-year-old son, Gaurav, who recently graduated from high school and plans to study hospitality management, inspired by his father, NDTV reported.
A fundraiser for the family has raised more than $321,000.
Killing and investigation
Nagamallaiah was killed with a machete by Cobos-Martinez on Sept. 10. The attack occurred in front of his wife and child after a dispute over a washing machine. The suspect, now in custody and charged with first-degree murder, had a criminal record including arrests for child sex abuse, grand theft auto and false imprisonment.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Cobos-Martinez is an undocumented immigrant with a final order of removal from the U.S. He was previously held at a Dallas detention facility but released under supervision in January because Cuba refused to accept his return due to his criminal history.
Trump criticized the Biden administration for allowing Cobos-Martinez back into the community.
“This individual was previously arrested for terrible crimes, including child sex abuse grand theft auto and false imprisonment, but was released back into our homeland under incompetent Joe Biden because Cuba did not want such an evil person in their country,” Trump wrote. “This criminal, who we have in custody, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He will be charged with murder in the first degree!”
“The time for being soft on these Illegal Immigrant Criminals is OVER under my watch,” Trump declared in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Police reports say Cobos-Martinez chased Nagamallaiah with a machete and decapitated him. Law enforcement officials and community leaders condemned the killing. Cobos-Martinez was arrested at the scene, covered in blood. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged him in the Dallas County Jail without bond.
The killing has renewed debate over undocumented immigration and enforcement, with Trump vowing tougher action to “Make America Safe Again.”
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said he is horrified by Nagamallaiah’s murder, noting that he was an Indian-American immigrant killed in front of his wife and 18-year-old son.
“My deepest condolences go to his family,” he said. “The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said the case highlights broader immigration challenges.
“This is exactly why the Trump Administration was removing criminal illegal aliens to third countries such as Uganda and South Sudan,” she said, pointing out policy gaps that allowed the suspect to remain in the country despite a deportation order.
Hotel industry response
Hotel association AAHOA condemned the killing, which follows the 2024 murders of member Hemant Mistry in Oklahoma City and Pravin Patel in Sheffield, Alabama.
"Our hearts are absolutely broken for the victim's family, who witnessed this unimaginable act of violence," said Kamalesh “KP” Patel, AAHOA chairman.
