Dallas Man Beheaded at Motel Following Argument Over Broken Washing Machine: Police

A man was beheaded at a Dallas motel after an argument that allegedly started over a broken washing machine, according to police.

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, at about 9:30 a.m., police responded to a call about a stabbing at Downtown Suites Dallas on Samuell Blvd. near the Cotton Bowl stadium, the Dallas Police Department said in a report obtained by PEOPLE.

When officers arrived, they found the suspect, identified as Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, covered in blood and armed with a machete, according to an arrest affidavit from the Dallas Police Department, WFAA reported.

Cobos-Martinez allegedly “cut the victim with an edged weapon several times,” according to the Dallas Police Department.

Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to the scene, where the victim, identified as 50-year-old Chandra Nagamallaiah, died.

Nagamallaiah was beheaded in the attack, according to the arrest affidavit, CBS 19 reports.

Cobos-Martinez was arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with the slaying.

He allegedly admitted in a recorded interview to killing Nagamallaiah with the machete, police said, according to the affidavit, NBC 5 reports.

The grisly slaying was the apparent result of an argument over a broken washing machine, according to the affidavit.

A witness told police she and Cobos-Martinez were cleaning a motel room when Nagamallaiah came to the room to tell the suspect not to use a broken washing machine on the property, according to the affidavit.

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Cobos-Martinez allegedly grew angry because Nagamallaiah was relaying the message to the witness, asking her to translate what he wanted to tell him, instead of speaking directly to Cobos-Martinez, the affidavit says, WFAA reports.

At that moment, surveillance video shows Cobos-Martinez leaving the room, returning with a machete and attacking Nagamallaiah, the affidavit alleges.

The victim’s wife and son tried many times to fight off Cobos-Martinez, who was allegedly going through Nagamallaiah’s pockets during the attack, according to the affidavit.

Nagamallaiah tried to get away from Cobos-Martinez, but fell down, witness Stephanie Elliott told WFAA.

“He just kept hitting him and hitting until he decapitated him,” Elliott told WFAA. “I could not believe that anybody would do another human being that way.”

It is unclear whether Cobos-Martinez has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.