Remains of toddler found on Deer Island

State Police and security at a checkpoint at Deer Island after human remains were found on Thursday. Scott Eisen/The Boston Globe)

A woman was walking her dog along the shoreline of Deer Island Thursday afternoon when she “found an object of concerning nature’’ and called 911, according to Massachusetts State Police.

The object was discovered to be the remains of a young girl of toddler age, State Police Lt. Col. Frank Matthews said at a press conference.

An autopsy is expected to be performed on Friday, said Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Mark Lee. Lee said his office would work “hand-in-hand’’ with State Police and Winthrop police during the investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard is assisting the investigation by analyzing the drift pattern of the waterways around Deer Island, according to the DA’s Office.

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Deer Island, which houses a sewage treatment plant, extends out from Winthrop into Boston Harbor, across from Logan Airport.

Police are asking anyone with information about a missing child to reach out to the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit at 617-727-8817 or Winthrop Police at 617-539-5806.

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