MA 32-year-old woman was found dead inside a walk-in freezer at a Dollar Tree in Little Havana around 8 a.m. Sunday, after an employee arriving to open the store called 911, city police said. The discovery shut the business for hours as homicide detectives processed the scene and the medical examiner’s office took custody of the body.
Police identified the woman as Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez. Investigators said early findings indicate she entered the store on her own the night before and was not employed there. The case is classified as an “unclassified death,” a designation used until the medical examiner determines whether the death was accidental, natural or criminal. Detectives reviewed store video and interviewed workers while crime-scene technicians examined the back-room area where the freezer sits. Officials said no arrests have been made, and they declined to discuss specific evidence while the inquiry is underway.
Officers responded to the Dollar Tree at 968 SW 8th St. just after 8 a.m., securing the storefront with tape and restricting access to a service corridor near the freezer. Customers who walked up to the glass doors were turned away as crews moved in and out of a rear entrance. Paramedics pronounced Garay Sanchez dead at the scene before the medical examiner transported her body for autopsy. A department spokesperson said the investigation will remain with homicide detectives until the autopsy and toxicology results clarify how she died. “We are gathering facts and awaiting the medical examiner’s findings,” Officer Michael Vega said in a brief on-scene update.
Detectives said preliminary review of surveillance footage showed Garay Sanchez entering the store late Saturday and moving toward an employee-only section near the back. It remains unclear how she accessed the restricted area or how long she remained inside before the discovery. Investigators requested additional video from nearby businesses along Southwest Eighth Street and canvassed the block for witnesses who might have seen activity behind the store after closing. Police emphasized that the woman was not recognized by staff as a worker, and they did not immediately release her address or any medical history that could be relevant to the case.
Inside the store, technicians photographed the hallway and freezer door, documenting latch mechanisms and temperature displays while collecting maintenance records for the refrigeration unit. Investigators also asked managers for logs of closing procedures and overnight alarm activity, along with delivery schedules that could show who had access to the back rooms. The department did not comment on whether the freezer door was propped or latched when the body was found, and officials declined to describe the victim’s condition beyond confirming the location.
Little Havana is a dense corridor of small shops, markets and apartments west of downtown, with a steady flow of foot traffic late into the night. The Dollar Tree sits in a small strip center along SW 8th Street, also known as Calle Ocho, where early-morning deliveries are common. Unusual deaths in commercial spaces typically prompt parallel reviews by city building inspectors and, when appropriate, state workplace regulators; authorities did not announce any separate probes Sunday, saying those decisions often follow autopsy results. Neighbors described a heavy police presence through late morning and said traffic slowed as units blocked a lane near the entrance.
As the day continued, detectives moved from the store to follow-up interviews with employees who closed Saturday and arrived Sunday to open. Police said they are piecing together a timeline from receipts, camera time stamps and alarm reports to determine whether anyone else was in the back area overnight. The medical examiner will conduct toxicology testing in addition to the autopsy, a standard step that can take several weeks to complete. Officials said they would update the case classification once the cause and manner of death are known and share any charging decisions in coordination with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office if criminal findings emerge.
Shoppers who arrived to find the doors locked gathered in small clusters along the sidewalk as officers moved yellow tape to allow employees in and out. “I’ve lived here twenty years and never seen a scene like this,” said Miguel Ortiz, who walked up for household supplies and watched as technicians carried paper evidence bags from the back hallway. A nearby shop worker said detectives asked for security video from late Saturday through early Sunday and left a phone number for follow-up.
By late afternoon, police had narrowed the perimeter but kept the freezer area sealed as investigators awaited additional guidance from the medical examiner. The store remained closed while managers coordinated with detectives. Authorities said they plan to review more video and contact additional witnesses Monday. No further details about Garay Sanchez’s movements before she entered the store were released.
Author note: Last updated December 14, 2025.