MECKLENBURG COUNTY, NC. (THECOUNT) — Christopher Palmiter, 60, was arrested Saturday in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, for failure to report his young stepdaughter missing for nearly three weeks.

Madalina Cojocari, 11, of Cornelius, North Carolina, had been missing for 22 days before Palmiter reported her missing to a Bailey Middle School school resource officer on December 15.

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Cojocari went missing from her home the day before Thanksgiving 2022.

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

No reason has been provided as to why Palmiter waited so long to report the young girl missing.

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 possible information regarding the whereabouts of Madalina Cojocari should contact the Cornelius Police Department at (704) 892-7773 or the North Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers at (704) 896-7867.

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Geo quick facts: Mecklenburg County is a county located in the southwestern region of the state of North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,618.

Cornelius is a suburban town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a major suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 24,866 at the 2010 census – Wikipedia.