FL - Woman's body found inside freezer at Dollar Tree Store, Miami, Dec. 14, 2025

[nhmemorymaker]

Family Sues for More Than $50 Million After Woman Was Found Dead in Dollar Tree Freezer

The family of Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, the 32-year-old woman who was found dead inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree in Miami, is now suing the chain store for more than $50 million in damages.

people.com

 

[PatLaurel]

Family Sues for More Than $50 Million After Woman Was Found Dead in Dollar Tree Freezer

The family of Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, the 32-year-old woman who was found dead inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree in Miami, is now suing the chain store for more than $50 million in damages.

people.com

From your link: “Sanchez’s family also claimed that the store’s manager was ‘placed on actual notice’ that she was missing and hadn’t exited the store and ‘failed to take reasonable action to locate or assist Sanchez.’”

This doesn’t make sense to me. She entered the freezer on her own and could have exited at any time. The freezer was not locked, and the emergency release was working. She entered a restricted area voluntarily, which places responsibility on her actions. Also, that's criminal trespassing. MOO JMO

 

[PatLaurel]

The complaint can be read here: miamidadeclerk

Local Case Number:2026-001784-CA-01

The family that Garay that became trapped inside the freezer. IIRC the officer that spoke to the media stated that the emergency release was working.

There are also numerous “failing” accusations concerning the freezer area, lighting, and safety. Do they realize that she entered an employees only area? The sticker is clearly visible and readable from the sidewalk, even with the doors closed.

They also accuse the manager of instructing an employee on duty not to review the surveillance footage and failing to take "reasonable action to locate or assist" Helen. 50 Million dollar question: Why didn't they call 911, immediately?! MOO JMO

ETA: missing 1 in 911

 

[FL Wannabe]

Interested to see if the case will settle before trial.

IANAL, and don't know the legal workings of something like this. However, the filing does note that HS entered the store, passed into an employee only area and entered the walk in freezer (which had properly working latches to allow her exit). But a key point I noted is that the store employees ( to include the manager ) did not search the store for her either then or at closing time. Wouldn't it be reasonable to do a sweep before closing?

 

[ttcRider]

Reasonable yes. Who would ever think someone was 'hiding' in the freezer? It's easy to think normal behavior would rule that out and I am sure those employees are devastated to learn otherwise. You can't keep an eye on everyone who enters your store. Not your job.

 

[PatLaurel]

NEW DETAILS: Alcohol use contributed to the death of a Nicaraguan doctor whose body was found in a Miami Dollar Tree freezer in December, according to an autopsy report obtained by Local 10 News.

Alcohol use contributed to death of doctor found in Miami Dollar Tree freezer: Autopsy

 

[outback]

NEW DETAILS: Alcohol use contributed to the death of a Nicaraguan doctor whose body was found in a Miami Dollar Tree freezer in December, according to an autopsy report obtained by Local 10 News.

Alcohol use contributed to death of doctor found in Miami Dollar Tree freezer: Autopsy

I am against ridiculous amounts of money being sued for because she was intoxicated.

Jmo

 

[fsngruv]

I am against ridiculous amounts of money being sued for because she was intoxicated.

Jmo

I'm sure it will affect their lawsuit. Hard to blame the store and the store manager when she was intoxicated, and I'm sure there were signs that said employees only, and even if there wasn't, it's common knowledge to stay away from freezers in a random store. It's hard to imagine they can blame this tragedy on the stores negligence, when I don't really see it, nor do I see what duty anyone has at the dollar store to insure a middle aged woman doesn't enter the freezer intoxicated or not.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

The whole situation here was just so weird.
But, I also found the lawsuit to be weird.... How can they sue, when she was actually trespassing.

I guess the effects of the alcohol may explain the search for "cold".

Have they/ or will they trace all her physical movement.
IIRC, she had been to visit her dad.

Just a weird and very sad situation all the way around.

I do wonder why it took so long to get these new details.

 

[PayrollNerd]

So the toxicology takes weeks and I’m sure they test for many things. But I would think alcohol would be obvious at death, if she was that inebriated. She probably felt very warm and sought a cool place but still, do the workers not do a sweep for customers prior to closing down for the night? I think that is the crux of the lawsuit.

 

[fsngruv]

The whole situation here was just so weird.
But, I also found the lawsuit to be weird.... How can they sue, when she was actually trespassing.

I guess the effects of the alcohol may explain the search for "cold".

Have they/ or will they trace all her physical movement.
IIRC, she had been to visit her dad.

Just a weird and very sad situation all the way around.

I do wonder why it took so long to get these new details.

I'm wondering the same, perhaps they came out because of the lawsuit? Such a sad case.

 

[fsngruv]

So the toxicology takes weeks and I’m sure they test for many things. But I would think alcohol would be obvious at death, if she was that inebriated. She probably felt very warm and sought a cool place but still, do the workers not do a sweep for customers prior to closing down for the night? I think that is the crux of the lawsuit.

I think you make a great point, do they sweep for customers? I don't think it's unreasonable that they should. Was this procedure? Did the store manager neglect to enforce that practice? Was it custom to neglect that practice? If anything the negligence of the store depending on written or expected procedure, plays a role , even to some degree, in her death.

 

[AnyNameIWish]

It's hard to imagine they can blame this tragedy on the stores negligence, when I don't really see it, nor do I see what duty anyone has at the dollar store to insure a middle aged woman doesn't enter the freezer intoxicated or not

I have a feeling the family got a call from a lawyer working on contingency who saw dollar signs when they realised they'd be suing a Corporation like DT.
Even if it's not negligence (which it is NOT to my mind on behalf of the 1 -2 employees who closed the store the previous night)... it's Murica so I think a financial settlement is likely down the line.

do the workers not do a sweep for customers prior to closing down for the night? I think that is the crux of the lawsuit.

I don't see how any restaurant or any place of business (with a walk in refrigerator or freezer) would be obligated to check and do such a sweep. It's sad to me these days, if you don't work there or have any business being behind the, 'employees only' section, WHY is it the job of the employees to make sure no one has entered? A level of personal responsibility has to play a role here, and she was a doctor who can read English, otherwise able bodied- chose to enter a place of business while intoxicated and found herself in this situation.

I don't see how employees of DT are to blame one bit.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I have a feeling the family got a call from a lawyer working on contingency who saw dollar signs when they realised they'd be suing a Corporation like DT.
Even if it's not negligence (which it is NOT to my mind on behalf of the 1 -2 employees who closed the store the previous night)... it's Murica so I think a financial settlement is likely down the line.



I don't see how any restaurant or any place of business (with a walk in refrigerator or freezer) would be obligated to check and do such a sweep. It's sad to me these days, if you don't work there or have any business being behind the, 'employees only' section, WHY is it the job of the employees to make sure no one has entered? A level of personal responsibility has to play a role here, and she was a doctor who can read English, otherwise able bodied- chose to enter a place of business while intoxicated and found herself in this situation.

I don't see how employees of DT are to blame one bit.

I see your point for sure. However, even 40 years ago when I worked retail jobs, night shift had to do a sweep for customers prior to closing. It wasn’t even the “sue happy” culture we have now but it was best business decision for liability.

Businesses operating at such close margins, generally don’t have enough staff to do so or, enough funds to pay the closing shift to do it. So they take the risk and sometimes, it just bites them in the end. I feel like this is where this case is in 2026.