Workers dig up human remains

Construction crews working near the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia discovered several human bones and a human skull while digging Friday afternoon. Police were called to the scene to investigate the human remains, and the Philadelphia Police Department confirmed that the remains were turned over to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner. Detectives in PPD's homicide division said they do not know the cause of death as the medical examiner has not yet filed a report. Officials from the medical examiner's office confirmed that the bones have been brought to their office, and that some bones are still being excavated from the site. However, the medical examiner's office is unable to release any information about the remains -- such as how long the body has been buried at the site, as well as the age and sex of the deceased -- at this time. Excavators have yet to see if the site will produce an entire skeleton, and no other physical remains besides the bones have been found. Workers from A.P. Construction, Inc., -- the firm hired to elevate a parking lot on University Avenue and Civic Center Boulevard -- were digging through the existing underground parking lot at the site on Friday afternoon. It was during this digging that workers spotted the remains. "During one of our bulk excavations, we came across bones, and they happened to be human," said Dario Petrongolo, one of the workers. "There were quite a few different bones out there." Excavation was halted immediately, and Petrongolo then called his general contractor, who alerted authorities to the discovery. While bones are still being uncovered, Petrongolo said construction at the site has continued.