The mother of missing California girl Melodee Buzzard returned home alone earlier this month after renting a car and taking a road trip with her daughter.
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Ashlee Buzzard rented a car and drove with Melodee, 9, on a road trip, possibly headed to Nebraska, on October 7. Days later, she returned home alone to Vandenberg Village in northern Santa Barbara County, without her daughter.
The rental, identified as a white Chevrolet Malibu with the license plate number 9MNG101, has since been returned.
On October 14, Lompoc Unified School District employees reported Melodee, who is homeschooled, missing after she failed to pick assignments for an independent study program.
The sheriff’s office said that Lompoc Unified School District employees last saw Melodee in August, when her mother registered her for the program.
Police subsequently served a search warrant at Ashlee Buzzard’s home but did not find Melodee. During follow-up visits, Buzzard reportedly became uncooperative with the search and has not offered any valid explanations as to where her daughter is.
During additional visits, officials knocked on Ashlee Buzzard’s door, but she stopped answering.
A neighbor shared security footage with KCBY News, showing that Ashlee Buzzard was spotted at the home, taking out her trash.
As the search continues, law enforcement is asking the public for tips.
“We want the public to think back to the 7th to the 14th. Did you see a mom and a daughter in this vehicle?” Raquel Zick, a spokesperson with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, said, referring to the rental vehicle.
Meanwhile, DailyMail reports that Ashlee Buzzard was spotted leaving with someone in a black Lincoln Sedan Wednesday morning, headed first to a Budget car rental branch. They later drove to the Avis car rental store at an airport.
She was reportedly denied a rental at both locations and returned home.
A neighbor, according to DailyMail, claimed Buzzard was handed a notice Monday to produce her daughter or face arrest.
The most recent photos of Melodee were taken around two years ago, and officials said her appearance may have changed.
“We are hopeful that Melodee might be with someone – perhaps an extended family member or friend – who may not be aware of the circumstances of her disappearance,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said in a news release Wednesday.
READ MORE: Melodee Buzzard: Missing California Girl’s Maternal Grandmother Speaks Out Amid Search
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. Contact the FBI at 800-225-5324.
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[Feature Photo: Santa Barbara County police]
