In a horrifying incident in Dallas, Texas, a 50-year-old Indian-origin motel manager, Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, was brutally beheaded in front of his wife and 18-year-old son on Wednesday.

The gruesome murder, which occurred outside the Downtown Suites motel, has shocked the Indian-American community and left the family devastated.

According to police reports, the accused, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, retrieved a machete and chased Nagamallaiah outside the motel before attacking him in broad daylight.

Chilling CCTV footage, now central to the investigation, shows the victim attempting to flee toward the motel office, where his family was present. Despite their desperate attempts to intervene, the attacker slit Nagamallaiah’s throat, leaving his wife and son in shock.

Perhaps the most disturbing sequence captured by surveillance cameras shows the victim’s severed head rolling across the parking lot. The accused was later seen calmly wiping his hands, picking up the head, placing it against a wall, and walking away as emergency vehicles arrived and pedestrians fled in panic.

Investigators revealed that the dispute reportedly began over a broken washing machine. Cobos-Martinez, who had prior arrests in Houston for auto theft and assault, allegedly grew enraged after Nagamallaiah asked someone else to translate instructions instead of addressing him directly.

Cobos-Martinez has since been arrested and charged with capital murder. He is being held without bond and could face either life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty if convicted.

Nagamallaiah, originally from Karnataka and affectionately known as “Bob,” was remembered by friends and community members as a kind-hearted man, a loving husband, and a devoted father.

A fundraiser has been organized to support the family with funeral expenses, immediate needs, and the son’s education. The funeral is scheduled for Saturday.