Madalina Cojocari, an 11-year-old girl from Cornelius, has been missing since Wednesday morning. Cojocari was last seen November 23, police said, but her parents did not report her missing until December 15. Both his mother Diana Cojocari and stepfather Christopher Palmiter are accused of failing to notify authorities of a missing youngster. The #FindMadalina hashtag has been trending on social media, and a vigil was held at Cornelius on Tuesday night as part of the public awareness campaign for the hunt for Madalina, which involves local law enforcement and the FBI.
HOW LONG WILL MADALINA COJOCARI BE MISSING?
Madalina Cojocari’s mother, Diana Cojocari, told police she last saw her daughter on the night of November 23, according to an arrest report obtained by The Charlotte Observer.
The next morning, Diana Cojocari reported to the police, they went to Madalina’s room to find her missing. On Tuesday, local police and the FBI released footage of Madalina exiting her school bus on the afternoon of Nov. 21. This is the last time police have been able to independently confirm that she has been seen, they said. “We are looking for additional witnesses outside the family to narrow down the exact timeline of her disappearance,” Cornelius Police said in a news release.
WHEN WAS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MADALINA COJOCARI REPORTED?
Madalina’s school resource officer and sixth grade counselor Bailey Middle traveled to the Cojocari residence on Dec. 12 in response to the disappearance of Madalina’s school, according to the arrest report obtained by the Observer. “There was no answer at the door and an absenteeism parcel was left,” the councilor said. Diana Cojocari called the school counselor on December 14 about the absenteeism package, the report says, and said she would come to meet Madalina.
Then she arrived at school without Madalina on December 15 and reported her daughter missing. “I asked Diana why she hadn’t reported Madalina missing until now,” Bailey Middle School resource officer J. Nobles said in the arrest report. Diana said she feared it could cause “conflict” between her and her husband, Christopher Palmiter.
PARENTS OF MADALINA COJOCARI ARRESTED
Diana Cojocari, 37, and Christopher Palmiter, 60, were both arrested and charged with failing to report the disappearance of a child to the police.
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