Crime
Jury selection begins Wednesday for Palmiter trial
May 21. By Mark Washburn. An attorney for the stepfather of missing Cornelius teenager Madalina Cojocari was frustrated Tuesday when motions he made demanding more evidence from prosecutors were denied. Brandon Roseman, attorney for Christopher Palmiter, argued that much of the evidence taken in the investigation of Madalina Cojocari’s 2022 disappearance has not been delivered […]
Madalina’s mother enters surprise guilty plea, faces deportation
May 20. By Mark Washburn. Diana Cojocari, mother of a missing Cornelius teen, entered a surprise plea Monday, admitting she was guilty of failing to report a missing child and was sentenced to time served. Conjocari, 39, had been in the Mecklenburg County Jail since December 2022 when it was revealed that her daughter, Madalina, […]
Hershey, Bradley get prison terms in local Ponzi scheme
Feb. 23. By Dave Yochum. Family, friends, victims and two US Attorneys filled a Charlotte courtroom yesterday afternoon as two Cornelius men who pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for orchestrating a large-scale investment scheme were sentenced to prison terms and probation. Attorneys for both Marlin Hershey, 54, and Dana Bradley, 53, both of Cornelius, […]
Police Blotter: Dec. 6-12
Incidents, arrests and citations reported by Cornelius Police Dept. Incidents Incident Nature Incident address Reported Disposition Victim/Complainant 231206085 Larceny 18820 Statesville Rd 15:16:00 12/06/23 CLO EDU Healthcare 231209045 Fraud 20100 Zion Av 09:23:45 12/09/23 ASN Ecogreen Services Arrests Arrest Charge Defendant DOB Gender Race Date Address 231208027 DWLR Aft Impaired Rev Notice Burton, Shaquiah Lashay […]
Police extradite suspect in Fink’s burglary
Oct. 11. Huntersville Police have nabbed a suspect in the late July jewelry burglary at Fink’s in Birkdale Village. The store was burglarized overnight, and multiple items were stolen. Detective Mitch Yates obtained warrants on the suspect, Derrick Lamar Brooks, 33, of Concord. He was arrested on Sept. 20 by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, […]
Eyes on Jetton: New cameras help deter crime
Sept. 12. By Dave Yochum. If you’ve noticed new cameras on traffic signs on Jetton, you can thank Peninsula resident Bob Watson. He wants to make the Jetton Road area the safest in the state. He solicited friends and neighbors for the money to purchase the cameras, valued at $2,160 each. He’s raised more than […]
Missing Madalina: Mother, stepfather plead not guilty
Aug. 18. WSOC has reported that the mother and step-father of 12-year-old Madalina Cojocari have pleaded not guilty for failing to report her missing for more than three weeks. The case, which is expected to proceed to trial, has perplexed law enforcement and citizens alike since she was reported missing Dec. 15. Diana Cojocari and […]
Arrest report: Car crash involved a stolen vehicle, drugs
Aug. 10. [Updated] A stolen vehicle involved in a crash at Jetton and West Catawba delayed traffic yesterday afternoon, with a large police presence in the area. The suspect, Anthony Andre Hampton, 26, apparently attempted to elude police before the crash. Cornelius Police would not comment, but Hampton was charged with possession of Schedule II […]
Police take individual with 24 warrants into custody
Aug. 7. The Cornelius Police Dept. Crime Reduction Unit, with an assist from the Davidson Police, has arrested an individual with 24 arrest warrants. Rafael Mickle, 52, with addresses in Huntersville and Charlotte, was arrested in Davidson on July 28 by Cornelius Police and immediately turned over to the Mecklenburg Sheriff. Cornelius Police Chief David […]
Police confirm drug raid on Norman Island
June 16. Cornelius Police issued this press release a day after a raid on a doublewide across Norman Island Drive from Community in Christ Lutheran Church: After conducting a Narcotics Investigation for several weeks due to multiple citizen complaints, as well as a rise in overdose cases involving several neighboring jurisdictions, detectives with the Cornelius […]
