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A Cuban identified as Yordanis Cobos-Martínez, 37 years old, was arrested in Dallas following a brutal machete murder that resulted in the decapitation of a motel manager in front of his wife and child.
The crime occurred on Wednesday morning at the Downtown Suites Motel in Old East Dallas. According to police reports, the suspect attacked the victim, Chandra Nagamallaiah, 50 years old, with a knife, inflicting multiple wounds before beheading her in broad daylight.
Aerial images showed the body on the sidewalk, covered with a tarp, as the police cordoned off the area.
According to Fox News, a surveillance video shows Cobos-Martínez kicking and lifting the victim's decapitated head in the parking lot, before throwing it into a garbage container. The excessive violence of the attack occurred in front of the manager's family, who were direct witnesses to the tragedy.
Background and Migration Release
The case has generated controversy after it was revealed that Cobos-Martínez was a Cuban immigrant with an active deportation order, who was released from ICE custody in January 2025 by the Biden administration, on the grounds that "there was no significant likelihood of deportation in the foreseeable future," due to Cuba's lack of cooperation on migration issues.
The suspect also had a criminal record in the United States that includes charges for false imprisonment in California, indecency with a minor in Texas (dismissed), vehicle theft in Florida (dismissed), and carjacking (for which he was acquitted, although convicted of false imprisonment).
Arrest and charges
Cobos-Martínez was arrested shortly after the crime while walking armed along the sidewalk in front of a nearby store. The police noted that, despite carrying a machete, he was taken into custody without the use of lethal force.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Dallas Police Department confirmed that the Cuban has been charged with capital murder, while the local community demands justice. “The judicial system will act swiftly against this man, I have no doubts that justice will be served,” stated a witness to FOX 4.
A visible tragedy and an open debate
The murder of Nagamallaiah has left a deep mark on his family, who witnessed the horror of the attack firsthand. The case not only reflects the brutality of an atrocious crime but also reopens the debate on immigration management in the U.S. and the deportation policy towards Cuba, in a context of increasing tension regarding public safety and the handling of those entering the country with criminal backgrounds.
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