JERSEY CITY -- The father of a 23-month-old girl found dead in a suitcase on train tracks earlier this month has been arrested by federal authorities in Puerto Rico, officials said.

Travis Lamont Plummer, 37, is charged with desecrating the human remains of Te'Myah Layauna Plummer. The cause of the toddler's death is still pending, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.

Following the April 11 discovery just outside of Journal Square, homicide investigators were contacted by the Richmond Police Department in Virginia, which was investigating the whereabouts of Te'Myah and her father, officials said.

Authorities had asked for the public's assistance locating Plummer and the young girl in March, saying family members had not heard from the two since August and they may be in Jersey City or North Carolina, according to a Facebook post by Richmond police.

The FBI was able to trace Plummer to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he was arrested without incident on April 19. He is awaiting extradition to Hudson County.

While the cause of death is still pending, a preliminary investigation indicates Te'Myah died out of state, officials said.

Suarez credited homicide detectives, the Port Authority Police Department, the FBI offices in Newark, Richmond, and San Juan, and Richmond Police Department with helping identify the child and arrest the father.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.