Family Speaks Out After Mom of 2 Found Dead in Dollar Tree Freezer

Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez’s family is speaking out after she was found dead inside a freezer at a Dollar Tree in Miami.

On Sunday, Dec. 14, officers responded to reports that there was a dead woman inside the business at 968 SW 8th St., the Miami Police Department said in a statement previously obtained by PEOPLE. Upon arrival, first responders found Sanchez’s body in a freezer located inside the store. 

Nearly a week after her tragic death, Sanchez’s cousin, Daniela Cortez, told the New York Post that “even the family has a lot of questions.”

“We don’t know how this happened either,” she said. “And we’re not getting any answers.”

At the time of the incident, police said that no foul play was suspected, adding that an investigation into Sanchez’s unclassified death remains ongoing. 

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According to NBC affiliate WTVJ and WPLG, police also said that Sanchez entered the store without purchasing anything and then went to a restricted employee-only area of the business, where she entered the freezer and stayed overnight. An employee found her the next morning. 

“We are aware of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones,” a Dollar Tree spokesperson said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “We are cooperating fully with the authorities at this time.”

Sanchez was a mom of two and a doctor from Nicaragua who “dedicated her life to medicine,” according to a GoFundMe created by Stefany Pereira to support her family in the wake of her tragic death. 

“Her compassion, skill and commitment to saving young lives defined both her career and her character,” Pereira wrote of the late anesthesiologist. “Her strength, warmth and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered.”

Going on to note that the mom of two died while abroad, Pereira explained that Sanchez’s two children “remain in Nicaragua and were the center of her world.” 

“Her family’s greatest wish is to bring her home to Nicaragua so she may receive a proper funeral and final resting place surrounded by loved ones,” she concluded. “The family is currently raising funds to cover the costs of repatriation, transportation and funeral services in Nicaragua. Any contribution, no matter the amount, will help honor her life and legacy and support her children during this devastating time.”