Stepfather of missing 11-year-old Cornelius girl makes first court appearance

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The stepfather of a missing 11-year-old girl from Cornelius appeared in court Monday morning.

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

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

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

Police are looking for 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari, who was reported missing out of Cornelius. — Police are looking for 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari, who was reported missing out of Cornelius.(Source: Cornelius Police Department)

Palmiter was assigned a public defender during his first appearance and issued a $200,000 secured bond.

He’s due in court again on Dec. 28.

The girl’s mother, 37-year-old Diana Cojocari, was also arrested Sunday and charged with the same crime.

Diana Cojocari — Diana Cojocari(MCSO)

Her first appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.

Officials say both parents maintain they don’t know where Madalina is.

She went missing the evening of Nov. 23, police say.

Police are looking for a little girl out of Cornelius who has been missing since the day before Thanksgiving.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and State Bureau of Investigation have since joined the search. Both agencies, along with the Cornelius Police Department, searched the family’s home over the weekend.

The @CorneliusPD, #FBI, & @SBI1937 are developing & following many leads to #FindMadalina. As part of the normal investigative process, we are expanding our search to include Lake Cornelius as a precautionary measure. There’s nothing we won’t do to #FindMadalina. pic.twitter.com/xTWKwkDa7v
— FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) December 19, 2022

They expanded the search to Lake Cornelius on Monday.

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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