Dollar Tree faces $50 million lawsuit after Florida doctor’s naked body found inside freezer. Manager allegedly ordered staff ‘not to review’ footage

Wait 5 sec.

A $50 million wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against Dollar Tree after the naked body of a 32-year-old Nicaraguan anesthesiologist was found inside a walk-in freezer at one of the chain’s Miami stores. The family of Helen Garay Massiell Sanchez, a mother of two, alleges the retailer failed to keep her from entering a restricted employee-only area and later failed to look for her. According to Atlanta Black Star, investigators said video from Dec. 13 showed Sanchez walking into the store before closing and going straight into the storage room, where she remained overnight. An employee found her dead in the freezer the next morning and called 911, police said. Police said they spoke with family members and determined mental illness was not a factor. Officials also said there was no foul play and that Sanchez walked into the freezer on her own. An official cause of death has not been released. Complaint says a customer asked for camera review after Sanchez did not leave the store The family alleges Dollar Tree was negligent because staff did not stop Sanchez from reaching the freezer. Accusations against Dollar Tree staff extend beyond this case, as a separate complaint alleges a manager improperly removed products from a woman’s cart. The complaint cited by Law&Crime says the store manager was “placed on actual notice” that Sanchez was missing and “had not exited” the Dollar Tree. The filing claims the manager “failed to take reasonable action to locate or assist Sanchez.” According to the complaint, a customer asked the manager to “review available surveillance footage” to find her, and the manager refused. “(The manager) affirmatively instructed the Dollar Tree employee not to review the surveillance footage,” the complaint states. The family also alleged the company failed “to implement, train employees on, and enforce reasonable closing-time policies and procedures to ensure that all patrons and invitees, including Sanchez, had exited the Dollar Tree Store prior to closing.” The lawsuit further said the freezer itself was defective and that workers did nothing to keep shoppers from “accessing” it. “Dollar Tree was negligent and breached its duties of care to Sanchez by … failing to install, maintain, and/or implement adequate safety mechanisms within the walk-in freezer, including but not limited to an internal emergency release, latch, or alarm, to prevent entrapment,” the complaint concludes. A Dollar Tree spokesperson told People, “Our thoughts continue to be with the individual’s family and loved ones. While we do not comment on active legal matters, we continue to cooperate fully with authorities.” Dollar Tree’s troubles extend beyond the Florida case, as a San Diego woman has also filed a lawsuit against the company.   The family said Sanchez “dedicated her life to medicine” and was recognized as an anesthesiologist who specialized in congenital heart disease. “Her compassion, skill, and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character,” the family’s page reads. “Beyond her profession, she was a loving mother to two children, who remain in Nicaragua and were the center of her world. Her strength, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered.”