ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A small skull and bones found in a building under renovation on West Main Street in downtown Rochester are getting tested by the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office, to determine if they're human.
The owner of the building said he called police in around 2 p.m. on Saturday. He says when he and friend went to investigate water damage in the ceiling, they found an old Texaco oil tin can the size of a mailbox in the rafters.
Upon peeling back the lid, the owner says they found the skull and small bones wrapped in newspaper and twine. The owner added that the remains clearly looked like a human newborn.
"As a point of reference for age, along with the motor oil can, there was some newspaper that was with the can or within the can that dates back to 1917," said Investigator Frank Camp, Rochester Police Department.
"We do a preliminary investigation and then we call the medical examiner to make a determination of the origin of these remains, to determine what in fact they actually are."
The building's owner did say in the process of renovating the space, many other old items have been found, such as an old beer bottle and cigarette posters dating back to the early 1900s.
Investigators say the results will determine what police will do next with their investigation.