Mother of Melodee Buzzard arrested on unrelated charges

(NewsNation) — Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of missing child Melodee Buzzard, has been arrested on charges unrelated to the disappearance of her daughter.

Buzzard was arrested Friday and charged with false imprisonment.

The charges are not related to the search for Melodee. However, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said it could not provide the details of the charges without impeding the ongoing investigation.

Detectives said they had learned of an incident where Buzzard prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will, which they said constitutes false imprisonment.

Authorities say the search for Melodee is ongoing.

Melodee Buzzard disappeared sometime between Oct. 9 and Oct. 10. Authorities were alerted to her disappearance by a school employee and said Buzzard's mother has not cooperated in the investigation.

Buzzard took a trip with her daughter, leaving California on Oct. 7 and traveling as far as Nebraska, with a return route that went through Kansas.

Melodee Buzzard was seen on surveillance footage at the Utah-Colorado border on Oct. 9. When Buzzard returned Oct. 10, Melodee was not with her.

Investigators recently released surveillance video from a rental car place in Lompoc, California, on Oct. 7, where Buzzard and Melodee, both wearing wigs, rented a car.

The pair was traveling in a 2024 white Chevrolet Malibu. The car was rented with California license plate 9MNG101, but investigators believe Buzzard swapped plates with New York plate HCG9677 for part of the trip.

Investigators are asking people along the route to review surveillance footage from Oct. 9 and Oct. 10. They say Buzzard and Melodee traveled through areas including Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; Northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Anyone with information on Melodee should call detectives at (805) 681-4150 or submit an anonymous tip at (805) 681-417