DALLAS: For the first time, the family of Chandra Nagamallaiah is speaking publicly after his murder and beheading outside a Dallas motel last week — offering a portrait of who he was, even as police continue their investigation and the case gains national attention.
Chandra, 50, was born and raised in Bangalore, India. His family said his drive to work hard and build something meaningful began at a young age. He started with a small retail store selling baby and children’s supplies, later running two restaurants before moving to the United States in 2020 at the encouragement of his sister.
“He always dreamed of being in the hospitality business,” the family wrote. “And his passion was so strong that it inspired his son, Gaurav, to want the same future.”
Nagamallaiah first worked at a motel in San Antonio, then moved to Dallas in 2021, where he began working at the hotel where he was later killed. His family said he cherished his work, his walks in nature, and time spent with children and relatives. “But beyond his work, Chandra was known for the kind of person he was,” the family’s statement continued. “He had a smile that could light up a room, a heart that always put others before himself,
and a spirit that encouraged young people to dream bigger.”
The family added, “We want the community to remember Chandra for the way he lived, not the way he was taken from us. He should be remembered as the man who worked tirelessly, who always had a kind word and a smile, and who never hesitated to help others in need.”
A GoFundMe campaign to support the family has raised more than $350,000 as of this week, reflecting the
broad outpouring of support. Still, the family says the hardest part is “learning to live with the emptiness.”
“He may not be here physically, but his presence is still felt every day — in the memories, in the lessons he taught,
and in the love he gave so freely,” they wrote. “We’re trying to pick up the pieces and move forward, but it’s not easy. What gives us strength is knowing how much he meant to people and how deeply he’ll always be remembered.”
Nagamallaiah often spoke of building something lasting in the hospitality industry — even hoping to own a hotel one day and create a foundation his son could continue. “That dream didn’t leave with him — it lives on in Gaurav,” his family said. “Gaurav has said he wants to honor his father’s memory by following in his footsteps, building a career in hospitality, and working hard to achieve the success his dad envisioned. His hope is to make his father proud by carrying that torch forward.”
Police have charged 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez with capital murder in Nagamallaiah’s death. According to a probable cause affidavit, the two argued after Chandra told him and another employee not to use a broken washing machine at the motel. Investigators say Cobos-Martinez grew angry when Chandra asked a female coworker to translate his instructions.
The brutal killing has drawn attention beyond Dallas. President Donald Trump weighed in on the case Sunday, adding a national spotlight to a tragedy that has left Chandra’s family struggling to cope. He underscored how Cobos-Martinez wasn’t a U.S. citizen and that he would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Cobos-Martinez is being held without bond on an ICE hold at the Dallas County Jail. — WFAA ABC News