A 32-year-old woman was found dead inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree store in Miami, Florida, prompting an investigation that has left her family searching for answers about the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death.
Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez was discovered by an employee around 8 a.m. inside the Dollar Tree location at 968 SW 8th St. in the Little Havana neighborhood. The store employee contacted authorities after making the grim discovery in the freezer.
Surveillance footage shows Sanchez entered the store Saturday night before closing. She did not make a purchase and accessed an employee-only restricted area. The body was found naked in the cooler, though Sanchez was not a store employee.
Miami police categorized the case as an unclassified death. Authorities said no foul play is suspected, but the investigation remains ongoing. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner is investigating, and the cause and manner of death have not been determined.
“We don’t know how this happened either,” her cousin, Daniela Cortez, said. “And we’re not getting any answers.”
Sanchez was an anesthesiologist specializing in congenital heart disease and a mother of two children. She was visiting her father in Miami, having arrived from Nicaragua earlier in December. Her two children remained in Nicaragua while she traveled to Florida.
A GoFundMe campaign was organized by Stefany Pereira to help the family repatriate Sanchez’s body to Nicaragua for funeral services. The fundraiser set a goal of $20,000 and had raised over $18,000 as of December 24, 2025. The funds will cover repatriation, transportation and funeral expenses in Nicaragua.
“Her strength, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered,” the GoFundMe page stated.
The discovery was made on December 14, 2025, after Sanchez entered the store on December 13, 2025.
Dollar Tree released a statement saying the company is cooperating with authorities. The retail chain did not provide additional details about the incident or confirm specific information about Sanchez’s connection to the store.
Sanchez’s family has expressed frustration about the lack of information they have received regarding the circumstances of her death. As a physician from Nicaragua who dedicated her career to treating children with congenital heart disease, her sudden death has left her community and family devastated.
The Dollar Tree store where the incident occurred is located in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, a predominantly Cuban-American area just west of downtown Miami. The investigation continues as authorities work to piece together what happened during the hours between when Sanchez entered the store and when her body was discovered.
Police continue to review evidence and await the medical examiner’s final report to determine how Sanchez died. The case has drawn attention to questions about store security and access to restricted areas.
The circumstances surrounding how Sanchez gained access to the employee-only area and what led to her death inside the freezer remain under investigation. Authorities are examining all available evidence, including the surveillance footage that captured her entry into the store.
As the family awaits answers and works to bring Sanchez home to Nicaragua, they remember her as a dedicated medical professional whose work brought hope to countless children and families. Her death has left two children without their mother and a medical community without a skilled practitioner who specialized in one of the most delicate areas of pediatric care.
The fundraising effort reflects the community’s support for the family during this difficult time, with donations coming from those who knew Sanchez professionally and personally, as well as from strangers moved by the tragic circumstances of her death. The family hopes to provide her with a proper funeral service surrounded by loved ones in her home country of Nicaragua.
