The family of a woman discovered dead inside a Dollar Tree freezer in Miami has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the retail chain and the store’s manager, seeking more than $50 million in damages.
According to NBC 6, the family of Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, 32, filed the lawsuit in Miami-Dade County on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The complaint alleges the company was negligent for failing to prevent Sanchez from accessing the store’s freezer.
The family also claims the store’s manager had been alerted that Sanchez was missing and had not left the building, yet “failed to take reasonable action” to locate or assist her, NBC 6 reported.
Miami police previously said Sanchez was found dead inside a freezer at the discount store on SW 8th Street on Dec. 14, 2025. An employee reportedly discovered her body around 8 a.m. local time that morning.
NBC 6 and WPLG reported that investigators said Sanchez entered the store on Dec. 13 without purchasing anything, then went into a restricted, employee-only area where she entered the freezer and remained there overnight.
A spokesperson for the police department previously said investigators obtained video provided by Sanchez’s family as well as surveillance from the store early in the investigation.
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“This is why we know there was no foul play,” the spokesperson said. “She went into the freezer on her own.”
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Sanchez’s husband and two children and requests a jury trial, NBC 6 reported.
A spokesperson for Dollar Tree previously said the company was cooperating with investigators and expressed condolences to Sanchez’s family.
In a separate interview with WPLG, a police officer said mental illness was not a factor in Sanchez’s death.
A week after Sanchez was found dead, her cousin, Daniela Cortez, told the New York Post that relatives were still searching for clarity.
“We don’t know how this happened either,” she said. “And we’re not getting any answers.”
Sanchez was a doctor from Nicaragua who “dedicated her life to medicine,” according to a GoFundMe post.
The fundraiser described her as an anesthesiologist specializing in congenital heart disease who “brought hope and healing to countless children and families,” organizer Stefany Pereira wrote.
“Her compassion, skill and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character,” Pereira added. “Beyond her profession, she was a loving mother to two children, who remain in Nicaragua and were the center of her world. Her strength, warmth and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered.”
