A troubling situation has unfolded in California as the mother of a missing 9-year-old girl is reportedly obstructing efforts to locate her daughter. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has expressed concerns over Ashlee Buzzard’s lack of cooperation in the search for her daughter, Melodee Buzzard, who vanished from Lompoc last August.

Melodee, who is homeschooled, was last seen when she was registered for an independent study program. It wasn’t until October that a school official noticed something was amiss. According to SFGate, Melodee never collected any assignments, sparking concern about her whereabouts.

The sheriff’s office revealed that employees from the Lompoc Unified School District last had contact with Melodee in August during her registration process. Since then, there have been no confirmed sightings of the young girl.

Lt. Chris Gotschall of the sheriff’s office commended the Lompoc Unified School District for their vigilance. “They deserve credit for identifying that something was off, reaching out, and actively assisting with the ongoing investigation,” he stated.

“Lompoc Unified School District deserves credit for recognizing that something wasn’t right, reaching out, and continuing to assist with this investigation,” said sheriff’s office Lt. Chris Gotschall in a statement.

“This important update helps narrow a significant gap in the timeline of when she was last known to be seen and because of that, we’re closer to understanding what happened to Melodee.”

When officers arrived at the family home, in the 500 block of Mars Avenue in Vandenberg Village, they spoke with Ashlee Buzzard but did not see Melodee.

They returned to the home for follow-ups, but could not find her, and her mother didn’t offer valid explanations. Police subsequently carried out a search warrant at the home but have been unable to find the child, KSBY reports.

Cal Coast Times reports that Melodee’s father died in a motorcycle crash when she was an infant, and her mother has been her primary caregiver.

Family members have reportedly expressed concerns about Ashlee Buzzard’s mental health and said they have not seen Melodee in four years.

The provided photo was taken around two years ago.

“I am horrified for my little niece, I can’t imagine what she’s gone through,” Vicky Shade, Melodee’s aunt, told the Los Angeles Times. “This does not sound good. I just want to know if she’s OK. We need to find her.”

“Ashlee is mentally unstable and my mom tried to get custody or at least grandparent rights to visit Melodee because she [Ashlee] wasn’t letting our side of the family see her.”

The sheriff’s office said the case, at this time, is not a criminal investigation.

Anyone with information regarding Buzzard’s whereabouts is asked to call Santa Barbara County investigators at 805-681-4150. Anonymous calls can be made to the tip line at 805-681-4171.

[Feature Photo: Santa Barbara County police]