Body found in suitcase along train tracks ID'd as missing toddler; police arrest girl's father
04/24/2018 6:48 am PDT
By Eliza Chasan, WPIX
JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- (WPIX) -- Police identified the body of a girl found in a suitcase along PATH tracks in New Jersey as a missing girl from Virginia.
The exact cause of Te'Myah Layauna Plummer's death is still unclear, but police arrested her father in Puerto Rico. Travis Lamont Plummer was taken into custody without incident by FBI agents on April 19 and is currently awaiting extradition. He's been charged with desecrating human remains.
His daughter's remains were found near the train tracks in Jersey City just after 12:30 p.m. on April 11. Investigators initially believed the child was less than a year old, but later determined she was nearly 2. Police don't believe she died in New Jersey.
The girl and her father had gone missing from Richmond, Virginia in March. Police there initially said they didn't believe the pair were in danger, but put out an alert. They contacted officers in New Jersey after hearing about the gruesome discovery.
“We would like to hear from whomever may be caring for Te'Myah Plummer, probably a family member,” said Major Crimes Sergeant Frank Scarpa said at the time. “We need to confirm that she is safe.”
Investigators are asking anyone with information in the case or anyone who remembers seeing something suspicious in the area where the baby was found to call the Hudson County Prosecutor's Homicide Unit at 201-915-1345. Tips can be submitted anonymously here.