Madalina Cojocari has been missing for 141 days, but on her 12th birthday, the Cornelius community wasn’t going to let the day go by without celebrating her.

At a vigil Tuesday, a somber crowd of about 50 people gathered outside of the Cornelius Police Station to honor Madalina’s birthday and pray for her safe return. A birthday balloon floated in the air near a banner with Madalina’s face on it.

“Madalina is an energetic, vibrant, 12-year-old girl who loves animals, and specifically loves horses,” Cornelius Police Chief David Baucom said at the vigil. “A child in our community is missing and we need your help to find her.”

Just half a mile away, there are reminders of Madalina in the Victoria Bay neighborhood where she lived. Missing persons signs and yellow ribbons lead the way to Madalina’s home. A stuffed sloth, more yellow ribbons, and a yellow Easter wreath mark her front porch.

Madalina was last seen on Nov. 21 when surveillance footage recorded her getting off the school bus at a stop near her home. Her mother, Diana Cojocari, and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, waited to report her missing until Dec. 15 after her school became concerned Madalina was absent for several days.

Her parents were arrested two days later and charged with failure to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement. Recently released court documents show Diana Cojocari was attempting to “smuggle” both her daughter and herself away from their home in Cornelius because of her “bad” relationship with her husband.

Where does the investigation stand?

Baucom spoke to the public for less than two minutes, summarizing the circumstances of the girl’s disappearance and urging the public to continue to share photos of her.

During the investigation police have followed hundreds of leads both inside and out of the state, Baucom said. Those tips are still coming in, he said.

“We’ve spent thousands of hours investigating this case and continue to follow it daily as we search for Madalina,” Baucom said.

Before Tuesday’s vigil, Baucom spoke at a news conference to answer pre-written questions. To most questions, the chief said he could not comment at the risk of jeopardizing the investigation, but said finding the girl is a “top priority.”

Baucom confirmed that police responded to a call for service before Madalina’s disappearance. It concerned Cojocari burning items in their backyard, according to video of the press conference from WBTV.

He would not say whether or not he believes Madalina is alive, but said in response to the question: “Our goal is to find Madalina.”

Jennifer Hernandez, 12, attended the vigil with her mother and 13-year-old sister. She knew Madalina, and for a brief time the two were in math class together. Jennifer remembers that Madalina loved to draw in class.

Jennifer said Madalina’s disappearance makes her sad and shocked her family. That’s why Jennifer, her classmates and her family members came to the vigil to show their support.

“She was really nice,” Jennifer said.

#FindMadalina

The Cornelius Police Department is continuing to investigate Madalina’s disappearance alongside the FBI and State Bureau of Investigation. Investigators have followed more than 250 leads from around the world to find her and scoured Lake Cornelius.

In Cornelius, missing posters dot the windows of local businesses, and the community has gathered at least twice at vigils to call for Madalina’s safe return.

Madalina was last seen wearing jeans, pink, purple and white Adidas shoes, and a white T-shirt and jacket. She is 4 feet, 10 inches, has dark brown hair and weighs about 90 pounds.

Anyone with information on Madalina’s whereabouts is asked to call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 or 1-800-Call FBI..