MIAMI (WSVN) - Police are investigating after, they said, a woman’s naked body was found inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree store in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, police said.
According to City of Miami Police, an employee called them at around 8 a.m. on Sunday to report that the woman had been found inside the business, located at 968 SW Eighth St.
Units arrived at the scene and blocked off the area. Detectives identified the woman as 32-year-old Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez.
Investigators said Garay Sanchez entered the Dollar Tree just before closing time on Saturday night, made her way through an area designated for employees only, then stepped into the freezer around 10 p.m.
Nearby shoppers who spoke with 7News said the disturbing discovery left them shaken.
“That’s so crazy, because nobody knows how she got in. Nobody saw her,” said Ninette Padilla.
“I would never believe, in a Dollar Tree, you would find a dead body in the Dollar Tree. I’m totally in shock,” said Margarita Puig.
Meanwhile, detectives are working to figure out what led to what they described as an unclassified death.
“She was 32, and it’s really sad that she did what she did,” said Padilla.
Police said they are in touch with Garay Sanchez’s family, as they work to determine whether she struggled with her mental health and what might have propelled her to walk into the freezer.
A GoFundMe has been created to return Garay Sanchez’s body to Nicaragua and funeral services. Click here if you would like to donate.
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