In a heartfelt plea, Lori Miranda, the grandmother of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, is urging the public not to cast blame on her daughter, who is currently facing scrutiny amid her own health struggles. Meanwhile, the search for young Melodee intensifies.
Miranda recounted to KSBY News the distressing moment when California police reached out to her about Melodee’s disappearance. She revealed that she had not seen her granddaughter for over a year.
“The officer asked, ‘Did you know your granddaughter was missing?’ and I was taken aback. I responded, ‘Missing? When did I last talk to my daughter?’ It’s been around two years, maybe a year-and-a-half,” Miranda, the mother of Ashlee Buzzard, explained.
The situation came to light when employees from the Lompoc Unified School District reported Melodee as missing on October 14. This came after she failed to collect assignments for her independent study program, raising alarms about her whereabouts.
The last confirmed sighting of Melodee was in August when Ashlee Buzzard, her mother, registered her for the program. This information was shared by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Mental Health Concerns
Miranda expressed her ongoing concerns about her daughter’s mental health, recalling a previous incident when she attempted to check on Melodee’s well-being. At that time, the sheriff’s office informed her that Ashlee was being taken to the hospital, indicating her need for medical care.
“About 15 minutes later, the sheriff calls me. He says, ‘I’m at your daughter’s house in Orcutt, and I was just getting ready to take your granddaughter, Melodee, with me to CPS because we’re getting ready to take your daughter to the hospital,’” Miranda said.
Miranda arrived at Miranda’s home and found it in a mess that surprised her.
“I couldn’t believe it was my daughter. I mean, the house was in disarray. There were raw eggs in pans, there was rotten food in the fridge I think she was trying to give my granddaughter.”
Miranda now hopes her daughter will be taken to a hospital for mental health assistance.
“Everybody’s dragging [Ashlee] around and she should be at the hospital and you should be talking to her there instead of everybody rattling her cage and then trying to act like they’re trying to help.”
Melodee’s family members on the father’s side have also expressed concerns about Ashlee Buzzard’s mental health, adding they have not seen Melodee in years.
“Ashlee is mentally unstable and my mom tried to get custody or at least grandparent rights to visit Melodee because she [Ashlee] wasn’t letting our side of the family see her,” Melodee’s aunt, Vicky Shade, told The Los Angeles Times.
Melodee’s father, Rubiell Meza, died in a motorcycle crash when she was an infant. Ashley Buzzard had been living in Santa Maria with Meza and his mother at the time, but moved away with Melodee after his death.
“She just kept [Melodee] away from us and then she up and moved,” Shade said. “She wouldn’t let us see her.”
Lizabeth Meza, Melodee’s aunt, told “Crime Stories” host Nancy Grace that she hasn’t seen Melodee in over four years, and now, Ashlee is refusing to answer questions.
“She will not answer any questions. She stood there very Stoic with a very stone look on her face…. and said, ‘why now?’” Lizabeth said, recalling when her niece asked where Melodee was last week, after knocking on Buzzard’s door.
FBI Joins Search
Earlier this week, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, with the FBI’s assistance, uncovered evidence indicating that Melodee was seen with her mother on October 7.
The sheriff’s office said in a statement that the pair may have traveled to Nebraska, with Buzzard driving a rental car: a white Chevrolet Malibu with the license plate 9MNG101, that is no longer in her possession.
Miranda reportedly said they have family in Ohio but none in Nebraska.
When officers arrived at Ashlee Buzzard’s home last week, in the 500 block of Mars Avenue in Vandenberg Village, they spoke with her but did not see Melodee.
They returned to the home for follow-ups, but could not find Melodee, and her mother didn’t offer valid explanations. Police subsequently carried out a search warrant at the home.
CPS and sheriff’s deputies have been seen retuning to the home again on multiple occasions, knocking on the Ashlee Buzzard’s door without an answer.
A neighbor shared security footage with KCBY News, showing that Ashlee Buzzard was spotted at the home, taking out her trash.
As the search continues, law enforcement is asking the public for tips.
“We want the public to think back to the 7th to the 14th. Did you see a mom and a daughter in this vehicle?” Raquel Zick, a spokesperson with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, said, referring to the rental vehicle.
Anyone with information regarding Buzzard’s whereabouts is asked to call Santa Barbara County investigators at 805-681-4150. Anonymous calls can be made to the tip line at 805-681-4171. Contact the FBI at 800-225-5324.
[Feature Photo: Santa Barbara County police]
