Mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard arrested on charges unrelated to her disappearance, police say
Mom of missing girl arrested 3 weeks after disappearance
- Ashlee Buzzard, mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, has been arrested on a felony charge of false imprisonment.
- The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said Buzzard's arrest in Lompoc, California is unrelated to her daughter's disappearance, which was reported on October 14.
- Detectives said Buzzard prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will, but further details regarding the allegations were not released.
- Melodee was last confirmed seen on October 9 near the Colorado-Utah border during a multi-state road trip with her mother, who has reportedly not cooperated with the missing person investigation.
- Authorities are focusing on the 24-hour period between October 9 and 10, when Buzzard returned home without Melodee, and are investigating her alleged swapping of vehicle registration plates to avoid detection.