DALLAS – Dallas police are investigating a gruesome and highly visible beheading at a motel in Old East Dallas on Wednesday. 

Dallas Motel Beheading

What we know:

It happened around 9:30 a.m. at the Downtown Suites motel, which is located just off Interstate 30 near the Tenison Golf Course.

Police said the victim was stabbed multiple times with an edged object.

Images from SKY 4 showed crime scene tape and a partition set up around a body found on the sidewalk of the motel.

Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to the scene, where the victim was pronounced dead. 

Police said a suspect is in custody and charges are pending.

There was also crime scene tape at the Beer Mart Express just down the street. According to the owner of the store, it was not open yet, and an officer arrested the suspect in front of the store as he was walking along the sidewalk.

“Even though he was armed with a bladed weapon, the officers showed restraint and used minimal force to apprehend him,” said Assistant Chief Terrance Rhodes with the Dallas Police Department.

Suspect and victim identified

The latest:

In an update from DPD later Wednesday evening, the victim was identified as Chandra Nagamallaiah, 50. 

The suspect, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, has been charged with capital murder. 

What we don’t know:

Police have not said what type of weapon was used in the murder.

They also haven’t confirmed that the victim was beheaded. But graphic images from SKY 4 showed the victim on the ground without a head. FOX 4 is choosing not to share those images.

It’s not clear if the suspect and victim knew each other.

What they’re saying:

FOX 4 spoke to a woman who arrived at a nearby gas station just as officers arrived.

“Criminal justice will come swiftly to this man. No doubt in my mind that justice will be served,” Briana Erwin said.

What you can do:

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Cody Clark, #10506, at 214-671-3584 or [email protected].