Police say they arrested parents of missing 11-year-old who waited 3 weeks to report her disappearance

• Madalina Cojocari, who is 11, was last seen on November 23.
• Her mother and step-father didn't report her missing until three weeks later, police say.

Madalina Cojocari, an 11-year-old girl in Cornelius, North Carolina, was last seen at home on November 23.

It wasn't until more than three weeks later, on December 15, that her mother and step-father reported her missing to her school.

On Saturday, Cornelius police arrested Madalina's mother, 37-year-old Diana Cojocari, and stepfather, 60-year-old Christopher Palmiter, on a charge of failing to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement, police said.

In North Carolina, parents and caregivers must report their children missing within 24 hours of their disappearance under "Caylee's Law." The statute is named after the daughter of Casey Anthony, the Florida woman mostly known for her highly publicized homicide trial in the death of her 2-year-old daughter in 2011.

The search for Madalina has expanded beyond Cornelius to involve state and federal law enforcement, including the FBI field office in Charlotte and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

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On Monday, investigators deployed patrol units to Lake Cornelius to look for Madalina.

"We are conducting additional land and water searches as a precautionary measure. There's nothing we won't do to #FindMadalina," local police wrote on Facebook, using a hashtag for posts related to the disappearance.

Madalina is a student at Bailey Middle School in Cornelius, which is about 20 miles north of Charlotte.

Police say she was last seen wearing jeans; pink, purple, and white Adidas shoes; and a white T-shirt and jacket, authorities said.

She is 4-foot-10-inches tall and weighs about 90 pounds, according to the FBI.

Those with information can call the local police at 704-892-7773 or the FBI at 1-800- CALL FBI.