A family has filed a lawsuit against a Miami Dollar Tree following the tragic death of a Nicaraguan anesthesiologist who was discovered deceased in the store’s freezer after consuming alcohol.
An autopsy for Dr. Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez determined that her blood alcohol level was 0.112 percent at the time of her passing, according to a report by Local 10 News.
For reference, the legal intoxication limit is 0.08 percent.
The 32-year-old was discovered unclothed and unresponsive in a restricted section of the store by an employee on the morning of December 14.
Her family is pursuing a jury trial and is seeking over $50 million in damages from both the store manager and the Dollar Tree chain.
As detailed in the legal filing, the mother of two had entered the Dollar Tree at 968 Southwest 8th Street on December 13, and her body was found in a walk-in freezer the following day by an employee.
The anesthesiologist had no drugs in her system, the autopsy reported.
The report listed her cause of death as environmental hypothermia with ethanol use as a ‘contributory cause.’
Sanchez’s family is seeking a jury trial along with more than $50 million in damages
The lawsuit alleged that she became trapped overnight in the employees-only walk-in freezer
According to the Mayo Clinic, alcohol can cause the body to lose heat much more rapidly, expediting the process of hypothermia.
At the time, Miami police said no foul play was detected, but they were unsure of Sanchez’s ‘state of mind.’
‘We’re not sure the state of mind of that woman, we’re not sure if she intentionally went into the freezer on her own will or if it was something completely accidental,’ a spokesperson told NBC 6 News.
Investigators said the doctor entered the store before it closed at 10pm and didn’t buy anything.
They obtained video from the store, which allegedly showed Sanchez entering the employees-only area by herself.
The lawsuit claimed she became trapped in the freezer and that the manager, despite being ‘placed on actual notice’ that Sanchez was missing, ‘failed to take reasonable action to locate or assist’ her.
Sanchez’s family alleged that the store’s manager did not ‘take reasonable action’ to locate her
She was found naked and unresponsive inside an employees-only freezer at a Dollar Tree in Miami-Dade
An autopsy report found that Sanchez’s blood ethanol level was 0.112 percent
Earlier this month, an officer told WPLG News that the freezer door was not blocked when Sanchez was inside and that it had an ’emergency release’ allowing it to be opened from the inside.
In a statement to the Daily Mail following her death, a Dollar Tree spokesperson said the company is ‘cooperating fully’ with the investigation.
‘We are aware of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones,’ it wrote.
‘We are cooperating fully with the authorities at this time.’
Sanchez was visiting relatives in Miami while her kids were home in Nicaragua.
Loved ones posted a GoFundMe to cover expenses associated with bringing Sanchez back home to Nicaragua.
Investigators have ruled out foul play and are looking into it as an ‘unclassified death’
They remembered her as a loving mother and wife and a caring medical professional.
‘Her compassion, skill, and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character,’ read the fundraising page.
She specialized in congenital heart disease.
‘Beyond her profession, she was a loving mother to two children, who remain in Nicaragua and were the center of her world,’ it continued.
‘Her strength, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered.’
The Daily Mail contacted the Medical Examiner’s Office, Miami-Dade Police and Dollar Tree for comment.
