Melodee Buzzard’s mother charged, bail set at $100,000
November 10, 2025
Melodee and Ashlee Buzzard
By KAREN VELIE
The Santa Barbara County District Attorneys Office filed a criminal complaint this week against 40-year-old Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, on charges unrelated to the search for Melodee. Ashlee Buzzard remains in jail with her bail set at $100,000.
Ashlee Buzzard is charged with preventing a victim from leaving an undisclosed location against their will on Nov. 6. Prosecutors charged her with one count of false imprisonment. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Santa Maria Superior Court on Wednesday.
A school administrator reported Melodee’s prolonged absence on Oct. 14. Deputies attempted to locate Melodee at her home in Lompoc, but she was not there. Ashlee Buzzard is not cooperating with investigators and has refused to say where Melodee is or how she is doing.
Melodee was last seen via video surveillance on Oct. 9, near the Colorado and Utah border.
Detectives, with the help of the FBI, continue to search for Melodee. Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen Melodee or had any contact with her in the past year to call (805) 681-4150.
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