A 32-year-old doctor and mother of two was found dead in a Dollar Tree storage freezer.
Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez entered the refrigeration unit Saturday night and never re-emerged, according to multiple outlets in Miami.
Her body was discovered by a caller who told police he found “a naked female” in the store’s cooler around 8 a.m. Sunday, CBS News reported. Store workers didn’t recognize the victim. Sanchez was reportedly was discovered dead in an area designated for employee use. She hadn’t made any purchases.
A GoFundMe page raising money for the victim’s family describes her as an anesthesiologist from Nicaragua who specialized in congenital heart disease.
Miami Police are investigating Sanchez’s death said circumstances remained unclear, according to CBS News. NBC News said detectives were speaking with the victim’s family to find out if she had a history of mental illness. WFLA reported that her death is not believed to have been the result of foul play.
News video shows police and fire rescue officials entering the Little Havana neighborhood discount store wearing gloves. Miami station WPLG said Sanchez’s relatives were spotted outside the store Sunday trying to understand what happened.
“I think it’s crazy. I’ve never heard of something like that in my life,” local man Hugo Morales told CBS News.
Another area resident said she was “totally devastated” to learn a woman appeared to have died at the south Florida Dollar Tree. The chain has more than 9,000 North American store locations including several in New York City.