The car that a missing 9-year-old California girl was last seen traveling in with her mother had its license plates swapped during a road trip ‘to avoid detection,’ police revealed. The whereabouts of Melodee Buzzard, of Lompoc, California, remain unknown, with her last known location being along the return route via video surveillance. The investigator revealed that the pair left California with a white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu, initially bearing California license plates, on October 7, 2025. The vehicle was later observed with a New York plate, which investigators believe was used to avoid detection, and was found to be not belonging to the car or the mother. The sheriff’s office is seeking public assistance and has shared additional surveillance images and is requesting any video footage from the travel route of the pair, hoping to uncover more clues about the missing girl’s whereabouts.
Ashlee Buzzard, 35, has not confirmed Melodee’s location or well-being, and was reportedly uncooperative during the investigation. The sheriff’s office noted that Ashlee had a prior record of uncooperativeness and that she has not provided any verifiable explanation for Melodee’s absence. The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office is assisting in the search, and the case has drawn significant attention due to the child’s young age and the mother’s alleged efforts to evade detection. Investigators have confirmed that the rental car traveled through Green River and Panguitch in Utah, northwest Arizona, Primm in Nevada, and Rancho Cucamonga in California on or around October 9. The sheriff’s office emphasized that the New York license plate, which was installed after the car left California, was used to mislead authorities.
Authorities have shared additional surveillance images capturing Ashlee and Melodee at a rental car location in Lompoc at the start of their road trip on October 7. Both appear to be wearing wigs, with Melodee’s hair appearing darker and straighter than her natural hair. The sheriff’s office previously stated that the investigation began on October 14 after a school administrator reported Melodee’s extended absence. Deputies responded to her home in Lompoc but found her mother uncooperative and no explanation for Melodee’s whereabouts. The child is described as being around 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 60 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. The case continues to unfold, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward.