Cornelius parents arrested for failing to report disappearance of 11-year-old girl

CORNELIUS, N.C. (WBTV) – Police are looking for a little girl out of Cornelius who has been missing since the day before Thanksgiving.

The Cornelius Police Department began investigating a missing person’s report involving a juvenile on Thursday.

Police say the parents of 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari reported her missing to the Bailey Middle School school resource officer nearly three weeks after her disappearance.

Cojocari’s stepdad, Christopher Palmiter, 60, was arrested Saturday for failure to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement.

He appeared in court Monday and was issued a $200,000 secure bond.

Cornelius Police also arrested the girl’s mother, 37-year-old Diana Cojocari, also for failing to report her daughter’s disappearance.

Both parents are being held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. Court officials say neither of them have given information as to where the child is, saying they don’t know.

Police said the child was last seen at home on the evening of Nov. 23 and has not been seen since.

“It’s very concerning that something like this could happen,” said one neighbor after he said the FBI visited neighbors Friday night.

“It’s just heartbreaking. I can only imagine, and the empathy goes out to the family. It’s just heartbreaking. I don’t know what happened,” added another neighbor.

Other neighbors recall the family as very quiet and keeping to themselves.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and State Bureau of Investigation have since joined the search.

Madalina weighs approximately 90 pounds and was last seen wearing jeans, pink, purple and white Adidas shoes, and a white t-shirt and jacket.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Madalina Cojocari is asked to contact the Cornelius Police Department at (704) 892-7773 or the North Mecklenburg Crimestoppers at (704) 896-7867.

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