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Helen Sanchez: Family speaks out after woman found dead inside freezer at Miami Dollar Tree store, ‘Not getting any…’
Dr. Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, a 32-year-old anesthesiologist from Nicaragua, was found in a walk-in freezer. Her family has now spoken out.
The family of Dr. Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez has spoken out as investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding her death. The 32-year-old anesthesiologist and mother of two from Nicaragua was found inside a walk-in freezer at a Dollar Tree store in Miami.
Sanchez was discovered early Sunday morning, Dec. 14, at a Dollar Tree location in the city’s Little Havana neighborhood. Her cousin, Daniela Cortez, told the New York Post, “We still don’t know what happened, adding, “And we’re not getting any answers.”
Miami police officers responded to a call reporting a deceased woman at the store at 968 SW 8th St., according to a statement obtained by People. First responders located Sanchez’s body inside a freezer within the business.
Authorities have said there were no immediate signs of foul play.
The case remains under investigation and is currently classified as an unclassified death, pending the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s findings, according to reports cited by the New York Post.
Police said surveillance footage shows Sanchez entering the Dollar Tree on the evening of Dec. 13, shortly before closing time. According to reporting from local outlets cited by the New York Post, she did not make a purchase and later entered a restricted employee-only area.
An employee discovered her body the following morning when the store reopened, police said.
What to know about Helen Garay Sanchez
Sanchez was visiting family in Miami and had arrived from Nicaragua earlier in December, according to the New York Post. Her two children remained in her home country.
A GoFundMe page created by Stefany Pereira describes Sanchez as a physician who “dedicated her life to medicine,” specializing in anesthesiology and working with children suffering from congenital heart disease. The fundraiser said that her family hopes to return her body to Nicaragua so she can be laid to rest surrounded by loved ones.
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“Her compassion, skill and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character,” Pereira wrote.
Police have said they are continuing to review evidence and are awaiting the medical examiner’s report to determine the cause of death.
