Tragic Incident: Doctor Found Deceased in Dollar Tree Freezer After Alleged Alcohol Consumption

The family of a Nicaraguan anesthesiologist has initiated legal action against a Miami Dollar Tree, following the tragic discovery of her lifeless body in the store’s freezer. The incident has raised questions about the circumstances leading to her death and the store’s responsibility in the matter.

An autopsy report indicated that Dr. Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, who was found deceased in the freezer, had consumed alcohol prior to her death. Her blood ethanol level was recorded at 0.112 percent, which exceeds the legal limit of 0.08 percent, as noted by Local 10 News.

The 32-year-old doctor was discovered naked and unresponsive in a restricted area of the store on the morning of December 14. This unsettling event has not only shocked the community but also prompted her family to pursue justice through the courts.

In response to this tragic loss, Dr. Sanchez’s family is demanding a jury trial and is seeking damages exceeding $50 million from the store manager and the Dollar Tree chain. The lawsuit highlights the family’s desire for accountability and answers regarding the circumstances that allowed such a devastating incident to occur.

Her family is seeking a jury trial along with more than $50 million in damages against the manager and the chain. 

According to the filing, the mom of two entered the Dollar Tree at 968 Southwest 8th Street on December 13 and was found dead inside a walk-in freezer the next day by an employee. 

The anesthesiologist had no drugs in her system, the autopsy reported. 

The report listed her cause of death as environmental hypothermia with ethanol use as a ‘contributory cause.’ 

Sanchez’s family is seeking a jury trial along with more than $50 million in damages

The lawsuit alleged that she became trapped overnight in the employees-only walk-in freezer

According to the Mayo Clinic, alcohol can cause the body to lose heat much more rapidly, expediting the process of hypothermia. 

At the time, Miami police said no foul play was detected, but they were unsure of Sanchez’s ‘state of mind.’

‘We’re not sure the state of mind of that woman, we’re not sure if she intentionally went into the freezer on her own will or if it was something completely accidental,’ a spokesperson told NBC 6 News.

Investigators said the doctor entered the store before it closed at 10pm and didn’t buy anything. 

They obtained video from the store, which allegedly showed Sanchez entering the employees-only area by herself. 

The lawsuit claimed she became trapped in the freezer and that the manager, despite being ‘placed on actual notice’ that Sanchez was missing, ‘failed to take reasonable action to locate or assist’ her.

Sanchez’s family alleged that the store’s manager did not ‘take reasonable action’ to locate her

She was found naked and unresponsive inside an employees-only freezer at a Dollar Tree in Miami-Dade

An autopsy report found that Sanchez’s blood ethanol level was 0.112 percent

Earlier this month, an officer told WPLG News that the freezer door was not blocked when Sanchez was inside and that it had an ’emergency release’ allowing it to be opened from the inside. 

In a statement to the Daily Mail following her death, a Dollar Tree spokesperson said the company is ‘cooperating fully’ with the investigation.

‘We are aware of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones,’ it wrote. 

‘We are cooperating fully with the authorities at this time.’

Sanchez was visiting relatives in Miami while her kids were home in Nicaragua.

Loved ones posted a GoFundMe to cover expenses associated with bringing Sanchez back home to Nicaragua.

Investigators have ruled out foul play and are looking into it as an ‘unclassified death’

They remembered her as a loving mother and wife and a caring medical professional. 

‘Her compassion, skill, and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character,’ read the fundraising page.

She specialized in congenital heart disease.

‘Beyond her profession, she was a loving mother to two children, who remain in Nicaragua and were the center of her world,’ it continued.

‘Her strength, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered.’

The Daily Mail contacted the Medical Examiner’s Office, Miami-Dade Police and Dollar Tree for comment.