A Florida physician was found dead inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree store in Miami, a day after she entered the premises, according to local reports and her family.
The body of 32-year-old Massiell Garay Sanchez was discovered by an employee around 8 a.m. on Sunday, Miami Police told Local 10 News. The young mother entered the store on Saturday evening but did not make any purchases. Investigators say she accessed a restricted employees-only area where a freezer was located and remained there overnight.
Authorities confirmed that Garay Sanchez was not an employee of the store. The circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation, but foul play has been ruled out, as she was not forced into the freezer. Police are also looking into whether she was dealing with personal or mental health issues.
Garay Sanchez, originally from Nicaragua, was described by her family as “a devoted physician and beloved mother.” She worked as an anaesthesiologist specialising in congenital heart disease. A GoFundMe page set up to repatriate her body to Nicaragua for a funeral had raised over $2,600 by Monday morning.
The Dollar Tree location remained closed until about 1 p.m. on Sunday as police investigated. Her death is being treated as unclassified, and no further details have been released.
