• Doctor’s body discovered inside a refrigerator at a store
• Cause of death under investigation

The body of a doctor was found inside a refrigerator at a branch of "Dollar Tree" in Miami on Sunday morning, just one day after she had entered the store, according to local reports and her family.

Miami police said that the employee who discovered the body found her unresponsive around 8 a.m.

Investigations revealed that the doctor, Maciel Gara Sánchez, entered the store on Saturday night without making any purchases, then found an area reserved for employees only, which contained a refrigerator, and remained there throughout the night.

Authorities confirmed that the circumstances of her death are still under investigation, noting that she was not an employee of the store and was not forced to enter the refrigerator, which currently rules out criminal suspicion.

One customer, Gerardo Núñez, said: “It’s heartbreaking. A family is grieving now because of someone’s death, and we really don’t know what actually happened.”

Her family described her as a “dedicated doctor and a beloved mother,” mentioning that she was of Nicaraguan origin and had devoted her life to medicine as an anesthesiologist specializing in congenital heart diseases, contributing to the treatment of many children and restoring hope to families.

The family added that Maciel was a loving mother of two children living in Nicaragua, who were the center of her life, and that her warmth, strength, and constant love for her family will remain in memory.

The family launched a campaign to transport her body to Nicaragua for a funeral, raising over $2,600 by Monday morning.