Rented Malibu Linked to Missing 9-Year-Old

Authorities in Santa Barbara County are searching for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard of Vandenberg Village/Lompoc after school officials reported her prolonged absence, and investigators say she may not have been seen since August though some evidence suggests a sighting as recently as Oct. 7. Detectives say Melodee was last seen with her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, who has been uncooperative with investigators. A rented white Chevrolet Malibu (California plate 9MNG101) is a vehicle of interest; investigators say the pair may have driven it as far as Nebraska and that the mother no longer has the vehicle. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Los Angeles field office have executed search warrants and are coordinating the investigation while urging the public not to conduct independent searches that could interfere. Relatives and neighbors have expressed alarm and raised concerns about the mother’s mental health and Melodee’s limited public visibility. Authorities ask anyone with information or recent contact with Melodee or Ashlee Buzzard to contact the Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division or submit anonymous tips.