Law enforcement on Friday released new surveillance images of a young Santa Barbara County girl who’s been missing.
Investigators began searching for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard of Lompoc on Oct. 14 after a school administrator reported her long absence. In an update provided on Friday, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said it obtained surveillance image stills of Buzzard at a local car rental business on Oct. 7.
In the images, the young girl is seen wearing a gray hooded sweater with the hood pulled up and what appears to be a wig. Authorities described the wig as “darker and straighter” than Buzzard’s natural hair and added that investigators believe it may have been used to alter her appearance.
Last week, officials said evidence shows the girl was with her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, as recently as Oct. 7. They believe the two left the region in a rental car and drove out to Nebraska, with the return trip including the state of Kansas. Ashlee was seen returning to her Lompoc home in the same vehicle on Oct. 10, but her daughter was not in the car.
Sheriff’s deputies said Ashlee has not been cooperating with the investigation.
“Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee,” Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement. “We remain determined to bring her home safely.”
Melodee is described as standing at 4-feet-6-inches tall, weighs about 60 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact detectives at 805-681-4150. Anonymous tips can be made by contacting 805-681-4171.
Source: NBC Los Angeles
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