Mother of Missing Nine-Year-Old Arrested in California
The mother of a missing nine-year-old girl has been taken into custody on a serious charge, three weeks after her daughter was reported missing. Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of Melodee Buzzard, was arrested in Lompoc, California, on a felony charge of false imprisonment.
Authorities from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office were quick to clarify that Buzzard's arrest is not connected to the ongoing investigation into her daughter's disappearance. Melodee was reported missing on October 14.
Details of the Arrest and Allegations
Detectives stated that the arrest relates to an incident where Buzzard is alleged to have prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will. Further specifics regarding these allegations have not been made public at this time.
The situation is complicated by the fact that Buzzard has reportedly not been cooperating with the investigation into her daughter's whereabouts. The Sheriff's Office revealed that surveillance footage shows Ashlee Buzzard renting a car with her missing daughter present.
The Focus of the Missing Person Investigation
The last confirmed sighting of young Melodee was on October 9 near the Colorado-Utah border. She was on a multi-state road trip with her mother at the time.
Investigators are now concentrating their efforts on the critical 24-hour period between October 9 and 10. It was during this window that Ashlee Buzzard returned to her home without her daughter.
In a significant development, authorities are also investigating claims that Buzzard swapped vehicle registration plates, an act allegedly intended to avoid detection by law enforcement.
The search for Melodee Buzzard continues as police work to unravel the circumstances leading to her disappearance and the recent arrest of her mother.
