Family of Nicaraguan anesthesiologist found dead in Miami Dollar Tree freezer files $50 million lawsuit

Lawsuit targets retailer and store manager after December 2025 death in Little Havana

The family of a 32-year-old anesthesiologist who was found dead inside a walk-in freezer at a Miami Dollar Tree store has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit seeking damages exceeding $50 million. The suit names the discount retailer and the store’s manager, and demands a jury trial in Miami-Dade County.

The lawsuit stems from the death of Dr. Massiell Garay Sanchez, a physician originally from Nicaragua. Police have said she entered the Dollar Tree at 968 SW Eighth St. in Miami’s Little Havana area on the night of Dec. 13, 2025. Her body was discovered the next morning, Dec. 14, by a store employee.

What investigators have said so far

Miami police have described the case as still under investigation, with the medical examiner’s cause and manner of death reported as pending. Detectives ruled out foul play early, stating there was no indication she was forced into the freezer.

Investigators have also said Garay Sanchez entered the store alone, did not make a purchase, and is believed to have gone into a restricted employee-only area where the freezer is located. Police have confirmed they obtained surveillance video showing her in the minutes before she entered the freezer, but the footage has not been publicly released.

Police have stated mental illness was not a factor in her death.

Key allegations in the civil case

The lawsuit argues the store owed customers a duty to protect them from foreseeable risks of harm and to implement and enforce reasonable safety policies and procedures. It also claims the business should have taken reasonable steps to locate a customer who was missing or unaccounted for.

• The complaint alleges the store manager should have secured dangerous areas, including the walk-in freezer.
• It further alleges that, after staff realized Garay Sanchez was missing and had not exited the store, the manager told an employee not to review surveillance footage.

Police have said the freezer door was not blocked and that an emergency release mechanism existed to allow the freezer to be opened from the inside, a detail likely to be scrutinized as both the investigation and the lawsuit proceed.

What happens next

Because the lawsuit seeks damages above $50 million and requests a jury trial, the case is expected to move through pretrial litigation, including motions and evidence disclosures, as the parties contest what safety measures were in place and what steps were taken during store closing and overnight procedures.

Garay Sanchez is survived by her husband, two children, and other relatives.