Officials released new video from Oct. 7 and say the pair changed appearances and the car’s plates during the journey.
LOMPOC, CA — Authorities are searching across several states for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard after she vanished during an early October road trip with her mother. Deputies on Friday arrested the mother, Ashlee Buzzard, 40, on an unrelated felony false imprisonment warrant and booked her in Santa Barbara County on $100,000 bail.
Investigators say Melodee was last confirmed on surveillance video Oct. 9 near the Colorado–Utah border. The case began Oct. 14 when a school administrator reported her prolonged absence. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has labeled Melodee “at-risk” because of her age and time missing. Detectives released video this week showing the pair in wigs before the trip and outlined a route stretching from California into the Mountain West and Plains. The mother has not provided a verifiable account of the child’s location, officials said.
Detectives say Ashlee rented a white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu in Lompoc on Oct. 7. Video from the rental site shows both Ashlee and Melodee wearing wigs that investigators believe were used to change their appearances during travel. By Oct. 8, the car was seen with a New York license plate that did not belong to the vehicle; the original California plate was back on the car when it was returned. “We remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Melodee’s last confirmed sighting came Oct. 9 on surveillance video recorded between the Colorado–Utah line.
Authorities outlined a path that included Green River and Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California. Detectives also believe the pair traveled as far as Nebraska with a return route through Kansas. The Sheriff’s Office said Ashlee has refused to cooperate and has not confirmed Melodee’s welfare. Deputies noted that the charge leading to Ashlee’s arrest — false imprisonment in a separate incident — is not linked to the child’s disappearance. The agency declined to release the booking photo, saying it did not meet release criteria. Officials have not identified any suspects connected to Melodee’s disappearance and have not announced any evidence of foul play.
Records released by the Sheriff’s Office show the investigation began when deputies visited the family’s Lompoc home on Oct. 14 and could not verify Melodee’s whereabouts. A later search confirmed the child was not at the residence. Relatives have told local outlets that contact with Melodee had been limited in recent years after the 2016 death of her father, Rubiell Meza. In brief comments carried by local media, grandmother Lori Miranda said she had not seen her granddaughter in about two years. The Sheriff’s Office has circulated a recent description for Melodee as about 4 feet 6 inches tall and 60 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Earlier in the week, detectives shared a short clip from the Oct. 7 rental office that aligns with previously released still images. Investigators say Ashlee switched to a darker wig later in the trip, similar in style to the one Melodee wore, and that the Malibu displayed a New York plate — HCG9677 — beginning Oct. 8 before the California plate, 9MNG101, reappeared when the car was returned. Deputies asked businesses along the route in Utah, Arizona, Nevada and Southern California to review Oct. 9–10 footage for any sign of the child. Officials described the girl as “at-risk” because of her age, the length of her absence and the lack of verified contact.
On Friday, detectives arrested Ashlee on a felony false imprisonment warrant stemming from a separate incident in which a victim was allegedly kept from leaving a location. Officials said they could not release more details without harming that investigation. Ashlee was taken to the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria, with bail set at $100,000. The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that the arrest is unrelated to Melodee’s disappearance but came during the broader missing child investigation. No court date has been announced, and it was not immediately clear if Ashlee had retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.
In Lompoc, neighbors and family friends described a quiet street where the rental car footage has become a point of focus. “We just want her found safe,” a relative said in a brief interview carried by local TV. The Sheriff’s Office said detectives are following leads generated by the new video, including potential sightings along Interstate 70 and other corridors. Community groups in the Central Coast region have held small vigils in recent weeks, and local schools have shared the flier with Melodee’s photo and description.
As of Sunday, Melodee remained missing. Detectives said they will release updates when possible and plan another briefing if credible new video or witness accounts are verified in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated November 9, 2025.