Indian beheaded in US: Congressman Ro Khanna says attacker 'should not have been free' on streets; cites his criminal past

US Congressman Ro Khanna has strongly condemned the killing of 50-year-old Indian immigrant Chandra Nagamallaiah, calling it “horrific".

“The brutal beheading of a hardworking Indian American immigrant in front of his wife and son is horrific. The murderer had multiple prior arrests for violent theft & child endangerment and was undocumented. He should not have been free on American streets," said Khanna on X.

The attack has sparked outrage across the Indian community in the United States.


The Indian Consulate General in Houston confirmed it is monitoring the case and assisting the family.

“Consulate General of India, Houston, condoles the tragic death of Mr. Chandra Nagamallaiah, an Indian National, killed brutally at his workplace in Dallas, Tx. We are in touch with the family and offering all possible assistance. The accused is in the custody of the Dallas Police. We are following up on the matter closely,” the mission said.

According to WFAA, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a Cuban national and fellow motel employee, was arrested Wednesday and is being held at Dallas County Jail on capital murder charges. CBS reported witnesses saw him pursue Nagamallaiah with a machete, repeatedly strike him and decapitate him outside the Downtown Suites motel in East Dallas.

Dallas Police Executive Assistant Chief Terrence Rhodes said, “The preliminary investigation terms that the suspect cut the victim with an edged weapon several times.” Police declined to provide further details.

WFAA added that Cobos-Martinez lived and worked at the motel. After his arrest, still armed and bloodied, he confessed during a recorded interview. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said, “Cobos-Martinez did the unthinkable and proceeded to kick the head around like a soccer ball,” and noted he was released from the Bluebonnet Detention Centre in January because there were “no removal flights to Cuba.”