The family of a 32-year-old woman found dead inside a walk-in freezer at a Miami Dollar Tree store has filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking more than $50 million in damages.
The suit, filed in Miami-Dade County, alleges that Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez entered the Dollar Tree location on Southwest 8th Street on December 13 and failed to leave the store. Her body was discovered the following day by an employee inside a freezer located in a back storage area.
According to the filing, Sanchez became trapped inside the freezer overnight. The lawsuit claims Dollar Tree failed to take basic steps to prevent unauthorized access to restricted areas and did not maintain adequate safety measures to avoid such an incident. It also alleges that the store manager had been alerted that Sanchez was missing and had not exited the premises, but failed to take reasonable action to locate or assist her.
The legal action, brought on behalf of Sanchez's husband and two children, requests a jury trial and substantial damages for negligence and wrongful death.
Police have stated that the investigation remains ongoing and have not yet determined whether Sanchez entered the freezer intentionally or by accident. Authorities have stated that questions remain about the circumstances that led her into the storage area.
Family members said Sanchez was a medical doctor originally from Nicaragua. Following the incident, Dollar Tree issued a statement expressing condolences and said it is cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation continues.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.