Melodee Buzzard’s Mother Arrested on Unrelated Charges After Authorities Release Surveillance Video Showing the Missing 9-Year-Old in Disguise
The search for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard has taken a disturbing and emotional turn as California authorities confirmed that her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, has been arrested on unrelated charges — just days after investigators released surveillance footage showing the pair together before Melodee vanished.
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, 32-year-old Ashlee Buzzard was taken into custody late Friday night on a felony count of false imprisonment. Officials have emphasized that the charge is unrelated to Melodee’s disappearance, but the arrest has intensified public concern and renewed national attention on the case.
Melodee was reported missing on October 14 after a school official noticed her prolonged absence and alerted authorities. The little girl, known for her bright smile and curly brown hair, had not been seen for weeks. When officers tried to contact her mother, they discovered that both had seemingly vanished without a trace.
Investigators soon uncovered footage from a rental car agency dated October 7, showing Ashlee and Melodee inside the building. In the video, the young girl can be seen wearing a wig and hoodie, an apparent effort to disguise her appearance. The two then rented a white Chevrolet Malibu and drove off. That was the last confirmed sighting of Melodee.
Authorities say that Ashlee returned the vehicle three days later — alone. What happened to Melodee during those missing days remains one of the most pressing mysteries of the investigation.
Law enforcement agencies across multiple states have since joined the search, including the FBI. They’ve traced potential movements of the rental car from California to Utah and into parts of Colorado and Nebraska, though no confirmed sightings of Melodee have been reported since October 9.
Ashlee’s arrest this week came after detectives discovered she was allegedly involved in an unrelated incident involving false imprisonment. “While the charges are not connected to the missing child investigation, we are continuing to pursue every lead that may help us locate Melodee,” officials said in a press statement.
The arrest has deepened a growing sense of unease surrounding the case. Family members, who had already expressed concern about limited access to Melodee in recent years, are now grappling with even more questions. According to relatives, Ashlee had gradually distanced herself and her daughter from extended family, cutting off communication and declining visits. “We hadn’t seen her in almost two years,” one relative told local news. “We just want Melodee home safe.”
Police say that Melodee is officially classified as “at risk” due to her age and the length of her disappearance. Described as 4 feet 6 inches tall and weighing around 60 pounds, she has curly brown hair and brown eyes. The sheriff’s office has asked anyone with information about her whereabouts to come forward immediately.
In a statement released Saturday, authorities reiterated that Ashlee’s arrest does not mean she has been charged in connection with her daughter’s disappearance. “Our focus remains on locating Melodee Buzzard,” said Raquel Zick, a spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. “We are following all leads and continue to work closely with law enforcement partners in multiple jurisdictions.”
Still, the circumstances have left many unsettled. The decision to disguise Melodee in the surveillance footage has fueled speculation about whether the mother was intentionally evading detection. “There’s no legitimate reason to hide a child’s identity unless you’re running from something,” said one law enforcement source familiar with the case.
Investigators have since obtained and analyzed rental records, gas station receipts, and surveillance footage from several locations along the pair’s travel route. They are also combing through digital evidence, including cell phone data and GPS tracking from the rented vehicle.
The community of Santa Barbara County has been shaken by the developments. Flyers with Melodee’s photo — a smiling little girl with dimples and bright eyes — are posted in shop windows, schools, and churches. Local volunteers have organized search efforts in nearby rural areas, while social media campaigns under the hashtag #FindMelodee have gained traction nationwide.
For those who know the family, the news of Ashlee’s arrest brought mixed emotions. Some expressed anger that a mother could vanish with her child; others voiced sympathy, hoping the arrest might lead investigators closer to finding Melodee.
Ashlee is currently being held at the Santa Maria County Jail with bail set at $100,000. It remains unclear whether she has retained legal representation or will face additional questioning related to her daughter’s case.
The arrest follows several weeks of mounting tension between the Buzzard family and authorities. According to relatives, the family had pleaded with Ashlee for months to allow contact with Melodee, but those requests were reportedly ignored. Family members say that Melodee’s paternal relatives last saw her in 2022, and efforts to reconnect were unsuccessful.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office first went public with the case in mid-October, releasing an image of Melodee and her mother, and urging anyone with information to help. When no credible leads emerged, detectives released the rental car footage showing Melodee in a wig. The video immediately went viral, bringing national attention — and heartbreak.
Forensic analysts are now studying the footage frame by frame. The fact that Ashlee returned the car without her daughter is a central point of investigation, though law enforcement has not disclosed whether they found any forensic evidence inside the vehicle.
So far, no physical evidence of foul play has been confirmed. But the longer Melodee remains missing, the greater the concern grows. “Time is critical,” authorities said in their latest update. “We are working around the clock.”
The sheriff’s office has also confirmed that tips have poured in since Ashlee’s arrest, many from out-of-state witnesses who believe they may have spotted the mother and daughter during their travels in early October. Every lead is being evaluated.
For Melodee’s family, the uncertainty is unbearable. “We don’t care about the circumstances anymore,” one cousin told People. “We just want to know that she’s safe.”
The case has drawn comparisons to other missing child investigations where parental abduction was initially suspected. However, officials have not yet labeled this case as such. “Our primary goal is Melodee’s safety,” said Sheriff Bill Brown in a televised briefing. “We are not here to assign blame until we have all the facts.”
Authorities are now appealing to anyone who may have seen Ashlee Buzzard or Melodee in early October — particularly in California, Utah, Colorado, or Nebraska — to report any details that could assist the ongoing search.
As of Sunday, Melodee remains missing, and her family’s plea continues: “Please, if you know anything, come forward. Help bring her home.”
The sheriff’s department has established a dedicated hotline for tips related to the case, emphasizing that anonymity will be protected.
In the meantime, the images of Melodee — smiling in school portraits, with curls framing her face — have become symbols of hope and heartbreak. “She’s just a little girl,” said one neighbor quietly at a recent vigil. “She deserves to come home.”
