California authorities have apprehended the mother of a 9-year-old girl classified as “at-risk” due to her disappearance, on charges unrelated to her daughter’s missing status.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of 40-year-old Ashlee Buzzard, mother of Melodee Buzzard from Lompoc, on Friday. The charge against her is felony false imprisonment.

An observer captured footage of law enforcement escorting Ashlee Buzzard from a residence.

“Detectives uncovered a recent incident where Ashlee allegedly restricted a victim from leaving a location against their will, qualifying as false imprisonment. This charge is not linked to the current efforts to locate Melodee. Nonetheless, detectives cannot disclose full details as it might hinder the ongoing investigation,” stated the sheriff’s office.

Melodee was last recorded on video surveillance in early October, during a road trip with her mother. Authorities believe the duo traveled as far as Nebraska. It was previously disclosed that the rental vehicle they used had its license plates altered “to avoid detection.”

Ashlee Buzzard, left, and her daughter, Melodee Buzzard, right, in a surveillance image taken at a rental car business in Lompoc, Calif., Oct. 7, 2025. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office)

Ashlee Buzzard had her bail set at $100,000 after being booked into the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Barbara County.

“Although this arrest occurred during the course of the missing person investigation, it is not directly related to Melodee’s disappearance. Sheriff’s detectives remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety,” the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators also released video Thursday showing Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard at a rental car location in Lompoc, California, Oct. 7.

A surveillance image shows Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard at a rental car location in Lompoc, Calif., at the start of the road trip on Oct. 7, 2025. On the right, Melodee Buzzard is seen in a photo that the FBI says was taken in 2023. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office/FBI)

“The footage corresponds to previously released still images and shows both Ashlee and Melodee wearing wigs. Investigators also believe that Ashlee swapped wigs throughout the trip, changing to a darker wig that is similar in color and style to the one Melodee was seen wearing. This change in appearance is believed to have been intentional to avoid recognition during travel,” the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office previously said its investigation into the disappearance of Melodee Buzzard began Oct. 14 after a school administrator reported her extended absence. Deputies then responded to her home in Lompoc and encountered her mother, Ashlee, but “Melodee was not at the home, and no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts was provided,” according to the office.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released an image of Melodee Buzzard “captured at a local car rental business on October 7.” (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office )

Melodee Buzzard is described by police as being “around 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 60 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. 

The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office is assisting in the search, and detectives have described the child as being “at-risk.”