Santa Barbara County mother of missing Melodee Buzzard arrested on unrelated charges

As the search for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard continues, detectives with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department announced the arrest of her mother on unrelated charges.

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested on Friday for false imprisonment. "Although this arrest occurred during the course of the missing person investigation, it is not directly related to Melodee's disappearance," the sheriff's department wrote in a news release.

Detectives learned of a recent incident where Ashlee allegedly prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will, leading to the false imprisonment arrest.

Melodee was first reported missing by staff from the Lompoc Unified School District on Oct. 14. They said she had not been seen since August, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

Detectives uncovered surveillance video from Oct. 7 that shows Melodee wearing a wig at a rental car lot with her mother, Ashlee, who was also wearing a wig. The two left their Lompoc, Calif. home in a rented 2024 white Chevy Malibu with the license plate 9MNG101. 

Investigators believe Ashlee changed wigs throughout the road trip through Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and possibly as far as Nebraska. At one point, the Malibu was observed with a New York license plate, HCG9677.

The last time Melodee was seen, according to the sheriff's department, was on Oct. 9 as security camera video caught the pair driving across the Colorado-Utah border in a 2024 white Chevrolet Malibu.

Deputies said Ashlee has been uncooperative with their investigation. "Sheriff's detectives remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety," the department wrote in a news release.

Anyone who may have seen Melodee or who may have information about her whereabouts is urged to contact the Sheriff's Office at (805) 681-4150 or on the Anonymous Tip Line (805) 681-4171. Online Tips: www.sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip/