SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The mother of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, the California girl who vanished during a cross-country road trip last month, has been arrested on a felony charge of false imprisonment, though investigators say the charge is not directly related to her daughter’s disappearance.
Authorities confirmed that Ashlee Buzzard, 35, was taken into custody Friday as part of a separate criminal investigation uncovered during the ongoing search for her missing daughter. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that Buzzard “prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will,” but declined to release further details, citing an active investigation.
“This crime is not connected to the ongoing search for Melodee,” the sheriff’s office said. “Detectives are unable to fully outline the crime as it would impede their ongoing investigation.”
Buzzard is currently being held in the Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $100,000.
FBI and Local Investigators Step Up Search Efforts
The arrest comes just a week after FBI agents executed search warrants at Buzzard’s home, a storage unit, and a rental vehicle that had been linked to Melodee’s disappearance.
Investigators say Melodee was last seen on October 9, during a trip that took the pair across multiple states — including Nebraska, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Kansas. Surveillance footage from October 7 showed Melodee at a Lompoc car rental agency, appearing to wear a dark wig and hooded sweatshirt, in what detectives believe was an attempt to disguise her appearance.
“Investigators believe the wig may have been used to alter her appearance,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that Buzzard appeared to switch wigs throughout the trip “to avoid recognition during travel.”
Timeline of the Disappearance
- October 7: Ashlee Buzzard and Melodee are seen at a car rental location in Lompoc, California, before leaving on what authorities later described as a “multi-state trip.”
- October 9: The last confirmed sighting of Melodee on surveillance footage occurs near the Colorado-Utah state line.
- October 10: Ashlee is seen returning to her Lompoc home alone, driving the same rental vehicle — but without Melodee.
- October 14: Melodee is reported missing, not by a family member, but by a school administrator concerned over her extended absence.
When deputies visited the family’s residence, they found no sign of the child and received no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts.
Authorities Say Mother Has Been “Uncooperative”
Throughout the investigation, officials say Ashlee Buzzard has not cooperated with law enforcement and refused to confirm her daughter’s location or welfare.
“Ashlee has remained uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s location or welfare,” the sheriff’s office said earlier this week.
The search for Melodee has captured national attention as images of the young girl in disguise circulated widely. Law enforcement agencies across several states are now involved, with federal authorities assisting local investigators in tracking Buzzard’s movements during the trip.
Community and Family Pleas
The case has gripped communities across California and the Mountain West, as volunteers and online groups continue to share Melodee’s photo and updates in hopes of bringing her home safely.
Authorities are urging anyone who may have seen Ashlee or Melodee Buzzard between October 7 and 10 — particularly at rest stops, gas stations, or hotels — to come forward with information.
Anyone with tips is asked to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office or leave an anonymous message through Crime Stoppers.
As the search intensifies, officials emphasize that while the mother’s arrest occurred during the missing persons investigation, it remains “unrelated to Melodee’s disappearance.”
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