Age: 9 | Status: At-Risk Missing Child
Location: Vandenberg Village / Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, California
Investigating Agencies: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office (SBSO) | Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Case Classification: Active Missing Child Investigation

BACKGROUND

• Date of Birth: February 10 2016
• Height/Weight: 4′0″–4′6″ | 60–100 lbs
• Hair/Eyes: Brown / Brown
• Last Residence: Mars Avenue, Vandenberg Village (CA)
• Father: Rubiell Meza – deceased (automobile accident, 2016)
• Mother: Ashlee Buzzard (35) – currently uncooperative with investigators
• Relatives report that Ashlee restricted Melodee’s family contact for years and isolated her from paternal relatives.
• Melodee was listed as homeschooled / independent study under Lompoc Unified School District, but the California Department of Education found no private-school affidavit on file.

2023

• The most recent verified photograph and school record of Melodee dated as 2023.
• Lompoc Unified School District confirms Melodee’s enrollment and sighting.

August 2025

• Verified sighting of Melodee by school personnel.
• No further attendance or activity recorded after this month.

October 7, 2025

• Ashlee Buzzard rents a white Chevrolet Malibu (California plate 9MNG101) from a Santa Barbara-area rental agency.
• Surveillance footage shows Ashlee and Melodee together at the rental counter.
• Melodee appears in a hooded sweatshirt and dark straight wig, believed to be a disguise.
• Ashlee and Melodee depart on a three-day interstate road trip that passes through Kansas and reaches Nebraska.

October 10, 2025

• Ashlee returns the rented Malibu to Santa Barbara County alone Melodee is not present.
• The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office narrows the disappearance window to these three days. Through their ongoing investigation, detectives have narrowed the critical timeline to between October 7 and October 10, 2025.

October 14, 2025 (Investigation Begins)

• A school administrator from Lompoc Unified requests a welfare check for Melodee after noting her prolonged absence.
• Deputies respond to the Buzzard residence on Mars Avenue.
• Ashlee Buzzard is unable to provide a reasonable explanation for her daughter’s whereabouts.
• A formal missing-person investigation is opened.

October 15, 2025

• Detectives serve a search warrant at the Buzzard residence.
• Melodee is not found.
• Ashlee Buzzard remains uncooperative with detectives.

October 17, 2025 (Official Statement – Lompoc Unified School District)

• LUSD issues a public statement clarifying facts and combating misinformation:
• Confirms Melodee was enrolled in August 2025, not missing since 2024.
• Explains staff initiated the October 14 welfare check after following required procedures.
• Affirms cooperation with SBSO and notes Ashlee Buzzard has not cooperated with investigators.
• Quote: “Our primary focus is close collaboration with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in their continued efforts related to this case.”

October 18, 2025

• The FBI joins the investigation and adds Melodee to its national Kidnap / Missing Child Poster.
• Authorities warn that her appearance may have been altered to conceal her identity.

October 20, 2025

• SBSO issues a public update confirming Melodee was with her mother on October 7 and that Ashlee drove to Nebraska before returning without her.
• The critical timeline of October 7 – 10 is re-emphasized as the primary focus of the investigation.

October 22, 2025

• Melodee remains classified as an At-Risk Missing Child.
• Ashlee Buzzard continues to refuse cooperation with law enforcement.

October 24, 2025

• The Sheriff’s Office releases new surveillance images from October 7.
• Images show Melodee wearing a wig and confirm Ashlee rented and drove the Chevrolet Malibu (9MNG101).
• Investigators reaffirm that Melodee disappeared during the three-day road trip.

October 25, 2025 (Present Status)

• Melodee Buzzard remains missing and considered at risk.
• Ashlee Buzzard remains uncooperative with law enforcement.
• The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and FBI continue the joint investigation and appeal for public information.

October 30, 2025 – Additional Search Warrants Served Source

• Authorities execute new search warrants at the Buzzard residence on the 500 block of Mars Avenue in Vandenberg Village.
  
• Ashlee Buzzard is removed from the home to allow investigators unrestricted access to the property.
  
• Detectives and FBI agents also search:
  
• A storage locker linked to Ashlee Buzzard
  
• The rental vehicle used during the October 7–10 road trip
  
• A section of Mars Avenue is taped off as federal and local investigators collect potential evidence.
• Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Gotschall of the Criminal Investigation Division states:
  “We appreciate the FBI’s assistance in today’s searches. In cases like this, every detail matters. Collaboration with our federal partners ensures we’re using every available resource to bring resolution to this case.”
• Officials confirm no arrests have been made and the case remains an active missing-person investigation.
  Focus continues on the critical October 7–10 travel window from Lompoc to Nebraska and back through Kansas.

November 3, 2025 – Expanded Multi-State Investigation and Vehicle Plate Discovery

• The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office releases new investigative details, a route map, and photographs of Ashlee Buzzard as part of the continuing search for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard. Source
• Detectives confirm that the case began on October 14 2025 after a school administrator reported Melodee’s prolonged absence.
• Deputies located Ashlee Buzzard at her residence in Lompoc, California, but Melodee was not present.
• A full search of the residence confirmed Melodee’s absence, and Ashlee provided no verifiable explanation for her daughter’s whereabouts.
• Investigators verify that on October 7 2025, Ashlee departed California with Melodee in a white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu (California plate 9MNG101).
• The pair are believed to have traveled as far as Nebraska, returning through Kansas.
• Beginning October 8, the Malibu was seen bearing a New York license plate HCG9677, which does not belong to the vehicle or to Ashlee.
• Detectives believe the false or switched plate was used to avoid detection.
• When the car was returned to the Lompoc rental agency, the original California plate was re-attached.

November 5, 2025

• The FBI released an update stating that the search continues for missing and at-risk 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who was last seen on October 9, 2025, via video surveillance in the region between the Colorado–Utah border. Melodee, originally from Lompoc, California, was traveling with her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, at the time of her disappearance. Source
• Investigators have released a photograph of Melodee and Ashlee together during their travels, along with a route map showing the locations believed to be part of their journey.
• Detectives have now confirmed that Melodee was last seen along the return route via video surveillance on October 9, 2025, in the region between the Colorado–Utah border. Based on vehicle movement, investigators believe the Malibu traveled through the following areas: Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; Northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California. Law enforcement authorities are seeking any information about Melodee’s whereabouts or condition.
• The FBI urges anyone with information about Melodee’s whereabouts or condition to contact law enforcement. • Official information and updates are available at: fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/melodee-buzzard

INVESTIGATIVE DETAILS

• Investigators believe Melodee may have been taken across state lines and her appearance intentionally altered.
• Ashlee Buzzard has not been publicly charged but is the last person known to have been with Melodee.
• The FBI and SBSO are analyzing rental agreements, surveillance footage, digital records, and interstate travel data.
• Authorities urge the public not to conduct independent searches and instead submit credible leads directly.

New Surveillance Confirmation:

• Melodee was last seen on video October 9 2025 along the return route between the Colorado–Utah border.
• Investigators are collaborating with law-enforcement agencies in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Southern California to locate additional footage or witnesses from that date.

Confirmed Areas of Travel on or Around October 9 2025:

• Green River, Utah
• Panguitch, Utah
• Northwest Arizona
• Primm, Nevada
• Rancho Cucamonga, California

The Sheriff’s Office publishes a route map depicting the vehicle’s likely travel path and urges residents and businesses in these regions to check surveillance footage and report any possible sightings.

Investigators are specifically seeking anyone who may have had contact with Ashlee or Melodee Buzzard between October 9 and October 10 2025, or anyone with video of their route.

Updated Images Released:

• New photos show Ashlee and Melodee at a Lompoc rental-car agency on October 7.
• Both appear to be wearing wigs, with Melodee’s darker and straighter than her natural hair.

Melodee Buzzard Description:

• 9 years old, female
• Approximately 4′6″ tall, 60 pounds
• Brown curly hair, brown eyes

CONTACT INFORMATION

Detectives again ask anyone with information to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office:

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line: (805) 681-4150
Anonymous Tips: (805) 681-4171
FBI Los Angeles Field Office: (310) 477-6565

OFFICIAL SOURCES (Verified)

• FBI Kidnap / Missing Poster – Melodee Buzzard
• Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Press Releases
• Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Press Release November 4, 2025
• Lompoc Unified School District – Official Statement (October 17, 2025)