Police in Miami found 32-year-old Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez dead inside a Dollar Tree freezer on Dec. 14 after she reportedly entered a restricted employee area the night before. Authorities say they do not suspect foul play and are investigating how she accessed and stayed in the restricted area. Sanchez, a Nicaraguan anesthesiologist who treated children with congenital heart disease, is survived by two children. A GoFundMe has raised funds to repatriate her remains for a proper funeral in Nicaragua.
Miami Mother Of Two Found Dead Inside Dollar Tree Freezer; Police Say No Foul Play Suspected
GoFundMeHelen Massiell Garay Sanchez, who was found dead inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree in Miami on Sunday, Dec. 14
A 32-year-old mother of two, identified as Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, was found dead inside a freezer at the Dollar Tree located at 968 SW 8th St. in Miami, authorities said.
Miami police responded at about 8 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, after an employee alerted them to a deceased woman inside the store. Officers located Sanchez’s body in a freezer within a restricted employee area, local outlets reported.
According to police, Sanchez entered the store on Saturday, Dec. 13, before it closed and did not make any purchases. She then reportedly accessed an employee-only area and remained inside the freezer overnight until a staff member discovered her the next morning. Investigators said they do not suspect foul play, and authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances that allowed her to enter and remain in the restricted area.
Who She Was
Sanchez was a physician from Nicaragua who specialized in anesthesiology for congenital heart disease, according to a GoFundMe page started to support her surviving family. Organizers and colleagues described her as a compassionate doctor who dedicated her career to helping children with complex cardiac conditions.
"Her compassion, skill, and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character," organizer Stefany Pereira wrote on the fundraiser page.
Friends and family are raising funds to repatriate Sanchez’s remains to Nicaragua so she can receive a proper funeral near her two children. As of Dec. 15, the online fundraiser had raised more than $3,200.
Dollar Tree and the Miami Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from media outlets. The investigation remains focused on determining how Sanchez gained access to the employee-only section and why she remained in the freezer overnight.
