August M
A lawsuit filed in Florida is raising questions about safety procedures and staff actions at a Miami discount store after a young doctor was found dead in a restricted area. The case centers on what happened during the store’s closing hours and what employees did afterward.
The claims are now the subject of a $50 million legal battle.
Discovery at store
Law&Crime reports that Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, a 32-year-old anesthesiologist and mother of two, was found dead inside a Dollar Tree freezer in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. The store is located at 968 SW 8th Street.
The Miami Police Department confirmed to Law&Crime that officers responded on Dec. 14 after receiving a call from an employee. A 911 dispatcher was heard on police scanners saying, “Complainant found a naked female in the cooler of the store,” according to CBS affiliate WFOR.
Police response
“We received a call from an employee, who reported that there was a deceased woman inside of the business, inside of the freezer,” a Miami PD spokesperson told Law&Crime. “No foul play is suspected, but it’s still an active and ongoing investigation.”
Police said Sanchez was found in a freezer located in an employee-only area. Investigators stated there were no signs she had been forced inside, though it remains unclear how she ended up there.
Events before closing
According to police statements cited by Law&Crime, Sanchez was seen entering the store on Saturday night shortly before closing. She allegedly did not make a purchase and was later observed walking toward a freezer in a back storage room.
Her family’s lawsuit claims that “while an invitee on the premises, Sanchez became trapped inside a walk-in freezer located within the Dollar Tree Store and thereafter sustained fatal injuries.”
Alleged management failures
The complaint accuses store manager Yanelkis Gonzalez of being notified that Sanchez had not exited the store. According to the lawsuit, a customer asked him to review surveillance footage to help locate her.
“Gonzalez affirmatively instructed the Dollar Tree employee not to review the surveillance footage,” the complaint alleges.
The lawsuit also claims Dollar Tree failed to ensure customers had exited before closing and did not properly secure the freezer.
Safety and liability claims
The family alleges the freezer lacked adequate safety mechanisms, including “an internal emergency release, latch, or alarm, to prevent entrapment.” The complaint argues the company failed to maintain safe premises or assist a missing customer.
Dollar Tree management did not respond to requests for comment from Law&Crime.
Remembering Sanchez
A GoFundMe page describes Sanchez, originally from Nicaragua, as a “devoted” physician and “beloved” mother. “Her compassion, skill, and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character,” the fundraiser states.
Her two children currently live in Nicaragua.
Sources: Law&Crime, Miami Police Department, CBS WFOR, GoFundMe
