A 32-year-old doctor was found dead inside a walk-in freezer at a Dollar Tree store in Miami, and the strange details of her death have left investigators confused. The Miami Police Department said an employee at the Little Havana store found the woman’s body when they opened the store at 8:00 AM on Sunday.
According to Fox News, police identified the victim as Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, an anesthesiologist who specialized in congenital heart disease. Officers confirmed she was found inside a walk-in freezer located in the store’s restricted stockroom area, which customers don’t have access to.
The circumstances of her death are deeply puzzling. Police scanner reports say Dr. Sanchez was found naked inside the freezer. Dispatchers were heard saying, “Complainant found a naked female in the cooler of the store.” The fact that she was in a restricted area, inside a freezer, and without clothes raises many unanswered questions.
Surveillance footage shows no signs of foul play
Despite the unusual situation, police say surveillance footage shows no evidence of foul play. Investigators are still trying to understand why Dr. Sanchez went into the restricted stockroom in the first place. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities haven’t explained what the footage actually shows.
Dr. Sanchez was originally from Nicaragua and was traveling to the U.S. when she died on December 14, 2025. She leaves behind two children who live in Nicaragua. She worked as an anesthesiologist focusing on congenital heart disease, a specialized and important field of medicine. Medical professionals have recently faced increased scrutiny, with doctors making controversial political statements that sparked public debate.
Her family and friends started a GoFundMe campaign to help bring her body back to Nicaragua. The page describes her death as “a tragic accident while abroad” and says the family wants to give her a proper funeral at home. They’re raising money to cover repatriation, transportation, and funeral costs.
As of Monday evening, the community had raised about $9,200 to help Dr. Sanchez’s family. The Dollar Tree store closed immediately after the discovery so police could investigate. It reopened later that Sunday, but the incident has left employees and the community shaken. In related healthcare news, concerns have grown about AI-generated doctors promoting questionable products on social media platforms.
Police haven’t released more details about what the surveillance footage revealed that made them rule out foul play. For now, the circumstances surrounding Dr. Sanchez’s death remain a mystery.
Published: Dec 16, 2025 03:15 pm