The mother of a missing 9-year-old Lompoc Valley girl was taken into custody Friday by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office on a charge not related to the search for Melodee Buzzard.
Detectives arrested Ashlee Buzzard, 40, of Vandenberg Village on a warrant for a felony charge of false imprisonment.
Buzzard, who lives at 550 Mars Ave., is the mother of Melodee, a 9-year-old missing for several weeks.
“Detectives learned of a recent incident where Ashlee prevented a victim from leaving a location, against their will which constitutes false imprisonment,” said Raquel Zick, Sheriff’s Office public information officer.
“This crime is not connected to the ongoing search for Melodee, however, detectives are unable to fully outline the crime as it would impede their ongoing investigation.”
Buzzard will be booked at the Northern Branch Jail with bail set at $100,000, Zick said.
“Although this arrest occurred during the course of the missing person investigation, it is not directly related to Melodee’s disappearance. Sheriff’s detectives remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety.”
Authorities have been searching for Buzzard’s daughter since Oct. 14 when educators asked deputies to conduct a welfare check on the girl who had not been seen recently.
In August, Melodee was first enrolled in the Lompoc Unified School District, when she and her mother went to Mission Valley Independent Study School to register her.
However, they didn’t pick up assignments, which led to a referral back to their school of residence where officials contacted the family to complete enrollment.
When the girl didn’t start attending classes, the school launched mandatory truancy procedures, including phone calls, letters, emails and home visits, leading to the visit to the home.
The mom has remained “uncooperative” during the investigation, authorities said.
Detectives narrowed the critical time frame for Melodee’s whereabouts to Oct. 7 to Oct. 10, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Detectives say the mom and daughter went on a four-day road trip from Lompoc to the Nebraska area, with the return trip including the state of Kansas.
Investigators have confirmed that Buzzard was seen returning to the residence on Oct. 10, driving the same rental vehicle she departed with on Oct. 7, but Melodee was not in the car.
After initially releasing photos of a young Melodee, detectives later provided images from surveillance video at the car rental business.
This week, deputies said Buzzard apparently switched license plates on the rental car and the mother and daughter swapped wigs to potentially avoid recognition during the trip.
Images from the surveillance video show Melodee wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and what appears to be a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair, Zick said.
After leaving Lompoc, they traveled east, as far as Nebraska with a return route that included Kansas.
Detectives have confirmed that Melodee was last seen on Oct. 9, on video surveillance in the region between the Colorado–Utah border.
They believe the rented Chevy Malibu traveled on Oct. 9 through or near Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County.
Last week, sheriff’s deputies and FBI agents returned to the Mars Avenue residence to conduct follow-up searches.
The girl had limited contact with relatives including her late father’s family. Melodee’s father, Ronaldo Rubiell Meza, 40, died in a Santa Maria motorcycle crash in 2016.
Anyone who has seen Melodee or has information about her whereabouts can contact the Sheriff’s Office by calling detectives at 805.681.4150 or the anonymous tip line at 805.681.4171.
Additionally, online tips may be submitted anonymously by clicking here.
