In a shocking report, WPLG Local 10 reporter Hannah Yechivi says the call came in early Sunday morning to a Dollar Tree in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, and it quickly turned into an hours-long police scene.
When officers arrived, Yechivi reports they found the body of a 32-year-old woman inside a store freezer. The store sits at 968 SW 8th St., and customers who showed up like it was a normal Sunday were met with an unexpected closure and a heavy police presence.
Yechivi describes detectives working for hours outside the store, trying to determine how and why the woman ended up dead in a restricted area. By the afternoon, police identified her as Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez.
A customer named Jeffrey Ripoll told Local 10 that hearing what happened made him stop and think, saying he felt concerned after learning someone had been found dead inside the business.
Another customer told Yechivi they had come to shop like they do every Sunday, only to realize the day was anything but ordinary.
It’s the kind of scene that rattles a neighborhood fast. A dollar store is supposed to be simple – quick errands, small purchases, people coming and going. Yechivi’s reporting makes clear this was the opposite: a place sealed off by tape and confusion, with a family waiting outside for answers.
What Police Say Happened Overnight
According to Hannah Yechivi, investigators believe Garay Sanchez walked into the store on her own the night before. Police told her the woman did not purchase anything.
Yechivi says officers believe Garay Sanchez eventually made her way into a restricted, employee-only area, where the freezers are located. Police said she remained there overnight.
Then, around 8 a.m. Sunday, employees returning to that area found her unresponsive, according to Yechivi. Miami police responded after an employee discovered her body.
In a police call referenced by Yechivi, an officer also confirmed that workers at the store did not recognize the woman. That detail mattered because it meant Garay Sanchez was not an employee and wasn’t supposed to be in that back area at all.
Local 10 reporter Roy Ramos followed up with additional details from the scene and said surveillance video shows her walking into the freezer area alone. Ramos emphasized that police told him she made her way into that restricted zone by herself, and video appears to show the same.
That point alone keeps coming up in both reports, and for a reason. It speaks to the direction investigators were leaning early: they were not describing an abduction or a struggle at the store.
Yechivi also reported that the officer she spoke with said this woman was never forced or pushed into the freezer. It’s a specific statement, and it’s one of the few firm conclusions police were willing to share on day one.
Still, even with that, the basics remain haunting: a person enters a store, ends up in a back area, stays there overnight, and is found dead the next morning.
Yechivi reported that family members were outside the Dollar Tree waiting for answers while detectives continued the investigation. Later, a van from the medical examiner’s office arrived to remove the body for further examination.
The store itself reopened after police cleared the scene. Yechivi said employees reopened to customers around 1 p.m., after officers left.
That reopening is one of those details that can feel jarring to outsiders. But it also reflects a reality of modern life: a business can be the site of something tragic in the morning and still be ringing up customers by the afternoon.
Who Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez Was
Both Hannah Yechivi and Roy Ramos report that loved ones described Garay Sanchez as more than a name in a police update.
Ramos noted that she was described on a GoFundMe page as an anesthesiologist originally from Nicaragua, and a mother of two. He said the page was created to help with expenses as her family tries to transport her body back home.
Yechivi’s reporting matches that outline. Police identified her as 32-year-old Massiell Garay Sanchez, and the information from loved ones described her as a doctor and mother.
There’s a particular kind of shock when the victim is described that way—not because any death is “less tragic,” but because it reminds people how thin the line can be between a normal life and a sudden end.
A doctor. A mom. A visitor in Miami. Now the center of a mystery that unfolded inside a discount store.
Ramos explained that her family’s goal is to bring her body back to Nicaragua, where her children are. That detail lands hard, because it shifts the story away from the freezer and back to something more human: two kids left without their mother, and relatives scrambling to handle logistics that no family is ever prepared for.
Yechivi also reported seeing the family gathered outside the store, waiting as detectives worked. That image – family members standing outside a Dollar Tree, hoping for clarity – says a lot about how abruptly grief can arrive.
What Investigators Are Still Trying To Figure Out
Even with the early information police shared, there’s still a wide middle ground between “we don’t see signs she was forced” and “we know what happened.”
Yechivi said investigators were speaking with family members to determine whether Garay Sanchez had been dealing with any mental health issues. That’s a careful detail, and it’s also one that can easily be mishandled in public discussion.
It’s important to say this plainly: when police look into possible mental health or personal struggles, that does not automatically explain a death. It also doesn’t give the public permission to turn someone’s life into gossip.
What it does show is that investigators are trying to understand the “why” behind the “how.”
Ramos, reporting from the scene, focused on what police say surveillance shows—Garay Sanchez walking into the freezer area alone. But video can only show movement, not state of mind, and it can’t answer the biggest question: what happened in those hours after she entered that restricted area?
Another unresolved piece is the freezer itself. Was it locked? Was it possible to open from inside? Was it a walk-in freezer, or a smaller unit? Local 10’s reports did not spell out those mechanical details, and without them, the public is left with a mental picture that may not match the real setup.
Yechivi reported that the medical examiner’s office took custody of the body for further investigation. That’s typically where more definitive answers come from, but it also means the most important facts may take time.
For now, what Hannah Yechivi and Roy Ramos made clear is this: police have a working timeline, a confirmed identity, and a scene that doesn’t fit the usual assumptions people make when they hear “found dead inside a freezer.”
The Safety Questions This Story Forces Into The Open
There’s a reason stories like this hit people so hard. It’s not just the setting. It’s the feeling of vulnerability it creates.
A Dollar Tree is a public place. But Yechivi and Ramos both describe how Garay Sanchez ended up in a restricted employee-only area. That immediately raises questions about security and access – questions that go beyond this one case.
When a person can move from the sales floor into a back area unnoticed, it makes people wonder how often “restricted” really means restricted in everyday practice. That’s not an accusation at any specific employee. It’s a broader reality of retail: stores are busy, staffing can be thin, and the boundaries between public and private space can be more porous than customers assume.
There’s also the issue of what families go through after a death that becomes public news. Yechivi’s reporting shows relatives waiting outside the store, while strangers gather nearby, trying to make sense of it. It’s a uniquely modern kind of grief – private devastation happening in a very public place.
Local 10 also reported that the station reached out to Dollar Tree for a statement, and the company responded with a short message expressing condolences and saying it was cooperating with authorities. That’s standard language, but it also signals the case is being handled as an active investigation, not just a bizarre headline.
At the same time, it’s hard not to think about the emotional whiplash for everyday shoppers. You can walk in for paper towels and walk out carrying the weight of something you didn’t expect to learn about your neighborhood.
The most respectful thing the public can do right now is simple: stick to verified facts, avoid turning this into rumor fuel, and remember the person at the center of it – Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez – was a real human being with children and loved ones.
Hannah Yechivi and Roy Ramos reported what police know so far. The rest, including the precise cause and circumstances of her death, will depend on what investigators and the medical examiner determine next.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
