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Missing ‘at-risk’ girl Melodee Buzzard’s mom appears in court after alleged box-cutter standoff
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The mother of a missing 9-year-old California girl described as “at-risk” appeared briefly in court Wednesday on a felony false-imprisonment charge unrelated to her daughter’s disappearance.
Authorities say Ashlee Buzzard, 35, faces the charge after an alleged incident at her Lompoc home on Nov. 6, weeks after her daughter, Melodee Buzzard, was last seen.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that the case is separate from the ongoing investigation into the child’s whereabouts.
Officials began investigating Melodee’s disappearance on Oct. 14, after a school official reported her prolonged absence. When questioned, deputies said Ashlee Buzzard failed to provide a verifiable explanation for her daughter’s location and has “remained uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s welfare.”
MELODEE BUZZARD DISAPPEARANCE: NEW SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS SHOW MISSING CALIFORNIA GIRL, 9, IN POSSIBLE DISGUISE
Authorities say Ashlee Buzzard remains uncooperative about missing daughter Melodee’s whereabouts as authorities continue their search for the at-risk California child. (KKFX)
Tyler Brewer, a court officer who has known Buzzard for years, told NewsNation that Ashlee revealed to him where Melodee was and who she was with, but he remains unsure whether the information was accurate, citing her unstable behavior at the time. He said he believes the child may be in Utah.
Brewer told ABC News that during a visit to Buzzard’s home, she appeared distressed after sharing information she “seemed to regret disclosing,” then locked the doors and retrieved a box cutter, preventing him from leaving. He said she eventually let him go, and he immediately contacted authorities.
Brewer described Buzzard as paranoid and mentally deteriorating, saying she’s “a totally different person” from when he first met her.
MELODEE BUZZARD’S MOM PLOTTED TO ‘CUT OFF’ MISSING 9-YEAR-OLD FROM ‘ENTIRE WORLD,’ GRANDMA SAYS
Melodee Buzzard, 9, remains missing after traveling with her mother Ashlee through multiple states before the car was returned to a rental agency. Ashlee Buzzard appeared in court Wednesday in an unrelated case. (KKFX)
Wednesday’s hearing in Lompoc Superior Court lasted less than a minute, according to KSBY.
Buzzard appeared in court dressed in a long-knit cardigan and with her hair tied back in a ponytail, a noticeable change from her short curls during her Nov. 12 arraignment. The outlet noted she also avoided eye contact as she walked to the counsel table alongside her public defender.
Attorneys confirmed they are moving forward with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday, when both sides will present evidence. A judge will then decide if the felony case proceeds to trial.
MELODEE BUZZARD’S MOTHER ARRESTED ON CHARGE UNRELATED TO HER DAUGHTER’S DISAPPEARANCE
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released a surveillance image, left, of Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard that it says was captured at a rental car location in Lompoc, California, at the start of the road trip on Oct. 7, 2025. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office/FBI)
Buzzard was charged Nov. 7 in connection with the incident involving Brewer. She was later released under conditions that included wearing an ankle monitor and avoiding contact with him.
Buzzard’s mother, Lori Miranda, told NewsNation she has not spoken with Ashlee since 2023. She described a difficult past marked by instability and domestic violence, including periods of homelessness when Ashlee was a child.
Investigators say Ashlee left California with Melodee on Oct. 7, traveling in a rented Chevrolet Malibu with California plates that were later swapped for a New York tag believed to be false.
MELODEE BUZZARD’S MOM RELEASED AFTER ALLEGEDLY IMPRISONING OFFICER, REVEALING MISSING DAUGHTER’S LOCATION
Investigators say Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard were on a road trip when the young girl disappeared. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office)
The pair reportedly drove through California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada before the car was returned to the rental agency with its original plates reattached.
Surveillance video released by the sheriff’s office shows Ashlee and Melodee wearing wigs at a Lompoc rental location. Authorities believe the disguise was intended to avoid recognition while traveling.
Melodee is described by officials as 4-feet to 4-feet, 6-inches tall, 60 to 100 pounds, with brown curly hair and brown eyes.
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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone with information about Melodee’s whereabouts to call (805) 681-4150.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and Buzzard’s lawyer for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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The 4,140-sq-km bay is the largest estuary on the west coast of the US. Before 2018, this species of whales wasn’t known to stop seasonally or consistently in the bay, bypassing it on their migration route down to Baja California and back up the Arctic, said Josephine Slaathaug, who led a recent study on gray whale mortality in the bay.
For the first time in the team’s history, Altitude Sports is broadcasting Denver Nuggets home games in Spanish. Kroenke Sports and Entertainment announced it has contracted a team to broadcast its games in Spanish for the playoffs.
“I think that is what the public wanted,” said Ivan De La Garza, producer for the broadcast team.
A team of three people, two commentators and a producer, sit in a press box at the top of Ball Arena. Their commentary is then synced with the traditional Altitude broadcast video and shared on the Altitude Plus application.
“With the Nuggets winning in the last five years, there is a tremendous amount of following from Latino people trying to listen to and watch the games in Spanish,” said Andres Casas, color commentator for the broadcast.
Casas said he strives to bring the same energy fans get during soccer broadcasts into the basketball broadcasts.
“That excitement that gets you. We want people to feel they are at the game,” Casas said.
“It has been so amazing to be a part of the Spanish broadcast for the Nuggets. I have been a fan of the Nuggets for my whole life,” said Jena Garcia, play-by-play commentator.
Garcia said it has been a dream come true to help bring this broadcast to her community.
“I’ve always desired to hear a Spanish broadcast, just as a fan. To be a part of it is just incredible,” Garcia said.
Those working in the broadcast said they are honored to help expand the reach of the Nuggets and sports in accessing diverse communities.
“We love sports. We are passionate, we are loud. We like to get together and enjoy sports,” De La Garza said.
“The Nuggets have a huge following, especially on the Spanish side. So, it is great for them to be able to listen to what is going on, game by game, especially into the playoffs,” Casas said.
“It is just another step of access that they are getting to be a fan of basketball,” Garcia said.
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