Woman walks into a Miami Dollar Tree and never leaves. Then she’s discovered dead in a freezer the next morning

Florida authorities are puzzled after a Dollar Tree store employee found Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, a 32-year-old mother of two and a trained anesthesiologist, dead inside a freezer at the store in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood on the morning of December 14, 2025.

According to surveillance footage and police accounts reported by multiple outlets, Garay Sanchez walked into the Dollar Tree the night before the discovery and did not make a purchase.

Investigators say she accessed an employee-only area in the back of the store, entered a large freezer there, and remained inside overnight, only to be found by a staff member the next morning. Authorities have not publicly confirmed a cause of death. CBS News reports that Garay Sanchez was naked.

A devoted mother and medical professional

Friends and colleagues have described Garay Sanchez as a devoted mother and a committed medical professional. Several reports identify her as an anesthesiologist who specialized in care for pediatric patients, and relatives have said she was originally from Nicaragua.

A GoFundMe set up by friends to assist with repatriation and funeral arrangements for her and support her children had drawn community donations as word of the tragedy spread.

“It’s something painful, a family heartbroken now because of the death of a person, and we don’t know what truly happened,” Dollar Tree customer Gerardo Nunez told Florida news outlet WPLG.

Another neighbor of the store told CBS News, “I got to be honest with you, I’m totally devastated. I can’t believe in the Dollar Tree you’d find a dead body.”

Meanwhile, another neighbor, Hugo Morales, told the outlet, “I think it’s crazy. I’ve never heard of something like that in my life.” Dollar Tree has not publicly released a statement about the incident as of the latest reports; investigators say employees cooperated with police.

Garay Sanchez’s loved ones and co-workers have shared messages of grief, calling her a hardworking professional and a caring mother. Community members have rallied to help the family with funeral costs and arrangements to return her to Nicaragua, where relatives hope to hold services.

Police have urged anyone with information about the hours before Garay Sanchez or her mental state and personal life when she entered the store to come forward as they continue to piece together a timeline. This remains a developing story. For now, Miami police list the case as an active death investigation and have said they will release more details when they are verified. Anyone with information is asked to contact Miami-Dade authorities.