A 61-year-old East Point woman was found dead Tuesday morning after getting locked in a walk-in freezer at a downtown Atlanta hotel, police said.
Authorities don’t suspect foul play in the death of Carolyn Robinson, a kitchen worker at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta police Lt. Charles Hampton said during a press conference.
Police are reviewing video showing Robinson may have entered the freezer in the lower level kitchen area just after 8 p.m. Monday.
“We’re still combing through the video just to make sure that there’s nothing else going on,” Hampton said. “She worked in the culinary department of the hotel, so it would appear that she had a reason to be inside the freezer.”
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office told Channel 2 Action News it will be at least a couple weeks before they determine an official cause of death.
Robinson’s family contacted the hotel when she did not return home after her shift.
Hotel staffers looked for Robinson and notified police she was found dead in the freezer Tuesday morning.
Hotel spokeswoman Sally McDonald said Westin staff members are working closely with authorities in their investigation and willing to provide whatever support they can for Robinson’s family.
“We are devastated by the tragic loss of our long-time associate and member of our Westin family,” McDonald said.
Co-worker Cecelia Edwards described Robinson as “a friendly lady” who talks to everybody.
“Everbody knows her,” Edwards told Channel 2. “Everybody loves her.”
Evidence does show Robinson tried to get out of the freezer, which had an exit mechanism, Hampton said.
“Obviously, I do not have the answer whether or not that mechanism worked or was properly operational,” he said.
That will be something the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate, he said.
“OSHA has been notified,” Hampton said. “It doesn’t appear that it’s going to be a criminal matter. But we are and will assist OSHA in any way necessary.”
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