Arby's manager found dead in freezer couldn't escape due to broken door, lawsuit claims

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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An Arby's manager "beat her hands bloody" attempting to escape a walk-in freezer she was found dead in May, according to a lawsuit filed in Texas against the fast-food chain and franchise owner.

Nguyet Le, 63, died May 11, after police said her body was found in the icebox of an Arby's in New Iberia, Louisiana, about 21 miles southeast of Lafayette, according to the lawsuit filed at Harris County District Court in Texas.

The wrongful death suit, filed by her four children who live in Texas − Nguyen Le, Nina Le, Trina Le and Tiffani Charubhat − seeks more than $1 million in damages from Arby's and franchisee Turbo Restaurants.

The Arby's fast-food chain and franchise owner are being sued by the children of Nguyet Le, 63, who died May 11. Her body, police said, was found in a locked Arby's walk-in freezer at a New Iberia, La., store.
The Arby's fast-food chain and franchise owner are being sued by the children of Nguyet Le, 63, who died May 11. Her body, police said, was found in a locked Arby's walk-in freezer at a New Iberia, La., store.

Lawsuit: Freezer door was broken; oldest son found her dead

The eight-page suit alleges both showed gross negligence by failing to fix a broken freezer door.

The suit, filed Friday, claims the victim had been temporarily assigned to work at the Louisiana store before she was found dead.

At the time of her death, the suit continues, the store's freezer door had been broken since August 2022 and "employees used a screwdriver to help open and close the door" and "used a box of oil to help keep the freezer door open."

According to the lawsuit, she became trapped in the freezer and "beat her hands bloody trying to escape."

According to an autopsy, the lawsuit reads, Le died from hypothermia.

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At the time of her death, Le was a general manager at the store and her oldest son, Nguyen Le, who also worked at the store, found his mother dead in the freezer, the lawsuit continues.

The plaintiffs, according to the suit, are also seeking a jury trial.

Arby's issues statement

“We are aware of the tragic incident that took place at our franchised location," an Arby's spokesperson told USA TODAY Wednesday. "The franchisee is cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation. Due to this being an active investigation, we defer any further comment to the state police department.”

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arby's freezer death: Manager tried to escape via broken door − suit