New footage shows missing California girl and mother wearing wigs, mother arrested on unrelated charges

LOMPOC, Calif. (ABC4) — Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has released additional footage of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard that shows Melodee and her mother changing their appearances through wigs.

Additionally, Melodee’s mother Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested Friday on charges unrelated to her daughter’s disappearance, according to reporting from Nexstar’s KTLA. She was arrested on suspicion of felony false imprisonment.

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office currently believes that Melodee and her mother traveled through Green River and Panguitch, Utah on or around October 9, and they are urging businesses and community members in the areas to review surveillance footage from October 9-10.

The new footage was taken on October 7 at a rental car location in Lompoc. In the footage, Melodee and Ashlee are both wearing wigs, and according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office, detectives believe that Ashlee swapped wigs throughout the trip, changing from the lighter wig she can be seen wearing in the video to a darker wig similar to the one Melodee is seen wearing.

Detectives also believe that the change in appearance was intentional to avoid being recognized while they were traveling across the country.

Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office also stated that on November 7, Ashlee Buzzard was arrested on a warrant for a felony charge of false imprisonment. “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,” they wrote in a news release.

Reportedly, detectives learned of a recent incident where Ashlee prevented someone from leaving a location, against their will. She was booked into the Northern Branch Jail with bail set at $100,000.

Who is Melodee Buzzard?

The investigation into Melodee’s disappearance began on October 14, when a school administrator reported that Melodee had not been in school for a prolonged period of time. Deputies attempted to locate Melodee and her mother at their home, but only Ashlee was there, who was not able to provide an explanation for where Melodee is.

Detectives have been able to confirm that Ashlee left California with Melodee on October 7, driving a rental car, and they believe that they traveled as far as Nebraska. They also stated that the license plate on the rental car was changed beginning on October 8, but when the rental car was returned, it had its original California plate.

Melodee was last seen on October 9, on surveillance footage in the area of the Colorado-Utah border. When Ashlee returned to California, she was alone, and Melodee’s current whereabouts are unknown.

Reportedly, Ashlee has been uncooperative with investigators.

Detectives have released the travel route they believe Ashlee took, and they believe that they traveled through the following areas on or around October 9:

• Green River, Utah
• Panguitch, Utah
• Northwest Arizona
• Primm, Nevada
• Rancho Cucamonga, California

Any businesses, gas stations, hotels, rest stops, and community members in these areas are encouraged to review surveillance footage from October 9-10. Anyone who has seen Melodee or has information about her whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office:

• Detectives Line: (805) 681-4150
• Anonymous Tip Line: (805) 681-4171
• Online Tips: www.sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip/