Ashlee Buzzard, Mother of Missing 9-Year-Old Lompoc Girl Melodee Buzzard, Arrested on Unrelated Charges as Search for Child Continues

The mother of a missing 9-year-old Lompoc, California girl has been arrested as investigators continue their search for the child amid growing questions about her disappearance.

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was taken into custody Friday afternoon at her Santa Barbara–area home on charges unrelated to the disappearance of her daughter, Melodee Buzzard, who has been missing since mid-October.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Ashlee Buzzard was booked on a felony charge of false imprisonment and held at the Northern Branch Jail on a $100,000 bond. Officials emphasized that the charge does not pertain to Melodee’s disappearance but was made during the course of the ongoing missing person investigation.

“The Sheriff’s detectives remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety,” the department said in a statement. They added that further information about the arrest could not be released at this stage, as it might interfere with the investigation.

Ashlee Buzzard, Mother of Missing 9-Year-Old Lompoc Girl Melodee Buzzard, Arrested on Unrelated Charges as Search for Child Continues

A Missing Girl and a Silent Mother

Melodee Buzzard, age 9, was first reported missing on October 14, after school officials raised concerns over repeated absences. The child’s mother, described by authorities as “evasive” and uncooperative, has offered no explanation regarding her daughter’s whereabouts.

Surveillance footage from October 7 shows both Ashlee and Melodee at a car rental business in Lompoc, where they were seen wearing wigs. Investigators believe the wigs—and later, swapped hairstyles—were used to avoid recognition while traveling.

Authorities say the mother and daughter rented a white Chevy Malibu, traveling more than 1,500 miles to Nebraska before turning back the next day. Along the way, they reportedly passed through Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California.

When Ashlee returned the rental car, she had replaced its New York license plate—believed to have been used to disguise the vehicle—with its original one. Melodee was not with her at the time.

Ongoing Investigation

Last week, FBI agents and sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at the family’s home on Mars Avenue in Lompoc. According to private investigator Bill Garcia, several pieces of evidence were collected, including sections of drywall, carpeting, and a piece of concrete from the garage.

Buzzard was not home during the search, which lasted several hours into the evening.

Melodee’s aunt, Lizabeth Meza, told the Daily Mail that she has “mixed emotions” about Ashlee’s arrest.

“I don’t understand exactly why they arrested her for false imprisonment,” Meza said. “Ashlee could be the only one who knows what happened—she’s the missing piece to this puzzle. Will she actually talk now? We hope she will, so she can tell them where Melodee is.”

Family Frustration and a Troubled Past

Meza said she hopes Ashlee understands that the family’s goal is to find both her and Melodee safe. “If someone is hurting her or Melodee, she’s not alone. We want to get them help. We just want Melodee back.”

She also revealed that Ashlee Buzzard previously lost custody of Melodee due to mental health struggles, though she later regained her parental rights. The mother had also declared bankruptcy, citing more than $23,000 in debt.

“There were so many hurdles—so much going on within the family,” Meza said. “It saddens me that we weren’t able to stay in contact with Melodee, and nobody really had a relationship with her. The system failed her by giving her back to a mother who was unstable.”

The search for Melodee Buzzard continues as investigators work to piece together the events leading up to her disappearance