Mother of missing Santa Barbara County girl arrested on unrelated charge
The mother of Melodee Buzzard, a missing 9-year-old girl from Santa Barbara County, was arrested Friday on an unrelated charge, the sheriff’s office said.
Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested Friday on a warrant for misdemeanor false imprisonment. She is expected to be booked into the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria on $100,000 bail.
“Although this arrest occurred during the investigation into Melodee’s disappearance, it is not directly related to Melodee’s disappearance,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement released Friday. “Sheriff’s detectives remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety.”
The mother’s arrest comes a day after new surveillance video was released showing her and her daughter at a car rental agency on October 7.
READ MORE | New surveillance video shows missing Santa Barbara County girl with mother at car rental agency
The last verified sighting of Melodee is now October 9, sheriff’s spokeswoman Raquel Zick told ABC News earlier this week.
Ashlee Buzzard did not cooperate with the investigation, according to authorities. Melodee is still considered a missing person, Zick said.
This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
