Mother, stepfather arrested as FBI joins investigation into missing Cornelius, NC girl
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Where is Madalina Cojocari?
Madalina Cojocari was 11 years old when she went missing in Cornelius, N.C. in November 2022. But her mother and stepfather did not report her missing for about three weeks and have been charged with failing to report the disappearance of a minor. Meanwhile, as of May 2024, Madalina remains missing.
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Police on Saturday arrested the mother and stepfather of Madalina Cojocari, an 11-year-old Bailey Middle School student who has been missing since Nov. 23.
Diana Cojocari, 35, and Christopher Palmiter, 60, were both arrested on a charge of failure to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement, according to Cornelius Police Department news releases.
Cojocari and Palmiter are being held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center, police said.
Palmiter works as a mechanical designer at Davidson-based Ingersoll Rand, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Police, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and FBI are still looking for Madalina.
Madalina is 4 feet, 10 inches, has dark brown hair and weighs about 90 pounds. She was last seen wearing jeans, pink, purple and white Adidas shoes, and a white T-shirt and jacket.
Her parents reported her missing to the Bailey Middle School resource officer on Wednesday, officials with the school said. Her last day at school was Nov. 22.
On Thursday, police announced they would open an investigation into the girl’s disappearance. Later the same day, authorities with the FBI and SBI joined the search.
The FBI’s Charlotte office shared a photo of Madalina on social media, noting she “loves horses” and ice cream.
Officers urged anyone with information on Madalina’s whereabouts to call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI. To remain anonymous, call North Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers at 704-896-7867.
This is a developing story. Check back for more details.
This story was originally published December 16, 2022 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Mother, stepfather arrested as FBI joins investigation into missing Cornelius, NC girl."
