A routine Sunday morning turned chilling at a Dollar Tree in Miami when workers made a gruesome discovery behind closed doors.
As employees opened the Little Havana discount store around 8 a.m., one worker stumbled upon what police later described as a deceased woman inside the business. Authorities soon identified her as 32-year-old Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, a visiting doctor from Nicaragua.
The body was found deep inside a restricted area of the store — a walk-in freezer located in the stockroom.
“Female was located inside a walk-in freezer/cooler located in the store’s stockroom,” Miami Police Department Public Information Officer Michael Vega confirmed.
Adding to the shock, police scanner traffic revealed the woman was not clothed when she was discovered.
“Complainant found a naked female in the cooler of the store,” dispatchers were heard saying over police scanners.
Sanchez, according to a GoFundMe page created by loved ones, was an anesthesiologist who specialized in congenital heart disease. She had traveled to the United States from Nicaragua, where her two children currently live. Her death reportedly occurred on Dec. 14, 2025, during that trip.
Despite the disturbing circumstances, authorities say surveillance footage reviewed so far does not point to criminal activity. Still, investigators have not explained why Sanchez entered the employee-only stockroom or how she ended up inside the freezer. The case remains under active investigation.
“Dr. Helen Garay passed away following a tragic accident while abroad,” the GoFundMe page said. “Her family’s greatest wish is to bring her back to Nicaragua for a proper funeral and final resting place, surrounded by her loved ones. The family is currently raising funds to cover the costs of repatriation, transportation, and funeral services in Nicaragua.”
By Monday evening, roughly $9,200 had been raised to help return her body home.
The Dollar Tree location temporarily shut its doors as police worked the scene but later reopened the same day, according to the Daily Mail. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
