A deeply disturbing retail tragedy is now turning into a high-stakes legal battle. The family of a woman who was found dead inside a Florida Dollar Tree store freezer has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the discount retailer and the store’s manager, seeking more than $50 million in damages. The case has reignited public conversation around store safety, employee responsibility, and how something so unthinkable could happen without intervention.
According to reporting from NBC 6, the lawsuit was officially filed in Miami-Dade County on January 28 and centers on the death of 32-year-old Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez. In Florida, where big-box and discount retailers are a daily fixture for millions of shoppers, the lawsuit alleges Dollar Tree was negligent by allowing Sanchez access to a restricted employee-only area, specifically the freezer where she was later found dead.
Sanchez was discovered on the morning of December 14, 2025, inside a freezer at the Dollar Tree located on SW 8th Street in Miami. Police say an employee made the grim discovery around 8 a.m. local time. Surveillance footage reviewed by authorities reportedly shows Sanchez entering the store the day before without making a purchase, then walking into an employee-only area and entering the freezer, where she remained overnight.
Florida Woman’s Family Sues Dollar Tree After Freezer Death
Law enforcement has stated there was no foul play involved. A spokesperson for the Miami Police Department said video footage confirmed Sanchez entered the freezer on her own. Additionally, police told WPLG that mental illness was not considered a factor in her death, a detail that has only deepened the mystery for her loved ones.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Sanchez’s husband and her two children, claims that the store’s manager was aware Sanchez was missing and had not exited the premises but failed to take reasonable steps to locate or assist her. According to the complaint, this lack of action directly contributed to the tragic outcome.
Dollar Tree has acknowledged the incident, previously telling PEOPLE that the company was cooperating fully with authorities. “We are aware of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones,” a spokesperson said in a statement. However, the family argues that cooperation after the fact does not excuse what they believe were preventable failures.
A week after Sanchez’s death, her cousin Daniela Cortez told the New York Post that the family was still searching for answers. “We don’t know how this happened either,” she said. “And we’re not getting any answers.” That frustration appears to be a driving force behind the lawsuit.
Mystery Still Surrounds The Tragedy
Beyond the legal battle, the personal loss is staggering. According to a GoFundMe page created for the family, Sanchez was a doctor from Nicaragua who dedicated her life to medicine. She was an anesthesiologist specializing in congenital heart disease and was remembered for bringing hope and healing to countless children and families. She was also a devoted mother of two, with her children remaining in Nicaragua.
“This story doesn’t add up,” one person commented. “Stores don’t keep track of every person that comes into a business. They don’t just follow them around,” another person stated.
As the case moves forward, Florida courts will now determine whether Dollar Tree and its management bear responsibility for what happened. For Sanchez’s family, the lawsuit is about accountability and making sure no other family has to ask the same haunting questions they’re still living with.
Dylan Cook 
