May 27, 2023
NEW IBERIA, LA—The family of the woman who froze to death in an Arby’s walk-in freezer is suing the fast food company.
Nguyet Le, 63, of Houston, was found dead in the freezer of an Arby’s in New Iberia on May 11. She was the acting manager of the restaurant, according to KPLC News.
According to Le’s family attorney, Paul Skrabanek, a police report conveyed Le tried to beat on the freezer door until her hands were bloody before she collapsed into a fetal position on the floor.
A former employee told Skrabanek that the latch on the cooler had been broken since at least August of 2022 and management was aware the latch on the cooler was not working correctly and ignored the problem.
Temperatures inside the walk-in freezer likely ranged from 5 to -20 degrees. Foul play is not suspected.
Apparently, a screwdriver was used to open and close the latch for the cooler and sometimes a box of oil was propped in the door to keep it open, according to the former employee.
Le was filling a temporary role for the New Iberia Arby’s. She was actually the general manager of an Arby’s in Houston, however, her supervisor asked her to help out at the New Iberia location for four weeks, reports KPLC News.
Le’s son Nguyen, who also worked for the New Iberia Arby’s, was the one who found his mother’s body in the freezer.
Le is a mother of four and a grandmother.
Feature Screenshots via YouTube