CORNELIUS, N.C. — The Cornelius community is still searching for Madalina Cojocari, the girl who disappeared in November at the age of 11.
Tuesday marked her birthday, and the community held an event to mark the occasion.
"Our goal is to find Madalina," David Baucom, the chief of the Cornelius Police Department, said during a rare public statement Tuesday ahead of the event for Madalina.
"We're hopeful that we're going to find her and we're going to be able to answer all of your questions at a future time," Baucom said during a 10-minute-long briefing with reporters where little new information was shared citing the ongoing investigation.
There were balloons, flowers, and yellow ribbons -- the symbol of support for missing loved ones -- wrapped around trees outside of the Cornelius Police Department.
"Today’s birthday is not much of a celebration but more of an honoring," Chaplain Paul Turbedsky with the Cornelius Police Department said. "A call to persevere in this search, a call to remember that Madalina is still out there, and a call to hold on to hope."
Dozens of people came together to honor Madalina on her birthday.
“We wanted to come out and show Madalina that she is not forgotten," Tina Farbolin, a Mooresville resident, said. "It may be her birthday but we will not forget that she is not here with us right now."
“My family and I are just devastated by what happened to her," Jennifer Hernandez, who went to school with Madalina, said. "She was really nice and stuff... She is really smart and she was a sweet person."
According to investigators, Madalina was last seen getting off the Bailey Middle School school bus just before 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21.
"Madalina is a vibrant energetic 12-year-old child who loves the outdoors, specifically horses," A child that our community is missing and we need the public’s help to find her."
Since she was last seen, the convoluted story of Madalina's disappearance has raised more questions than answers, with conflicting dates and statements from Madalina's mother and stepfather, who are both in custody in Mecklenburg County.
As police continue their search for the missing girl, one lead they hey have been looking into were reports that she may be a victim of human trafficking. Search warrants show that her mother, Diana Cojocari, had extensive conversations with a relative about getting out of her marriage to Christopher Palmiter and that she also asked a relative if they could help smuggle Madalina away from the home.
According to the U.S. State Department, 41% of human trafficking cases are facilitated by family members. Law enforcement consultant Roy Taylor, who's not involved in the case, said this gives investigators more people to look into and hope that Madalina is still alive.
"It gives another investigative tool and more hope that the girl is still alive," Taylor said. "Maybe she was smuggled to another area with family or friends who can keep her safe."
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