Investigators believe the rental car a missing California girl was in while on a road trip with her mother had its license plate swapped to avoid detection, police said Monday, as they zero in on that October trip to Nebraska.
“Investigators believe it was used as a false or switched plate to avoid detection.
Ashlee has remained uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s location or welfare,” the sheriff’s office said Monday.
Investigators also searched both a storage locker belonging to Buzzard, as well as the Malibu rental car, the office said.
Investigators are asking that anyone who may have had contact with the girl or her mother on Oct. 9 or Oct. 10 to contact the sheriff’s office.
Police said Monday that they are focusing on the October trip to Nebraska and believe the license plate of the rental car a missing California girl was in while traveling with her mother was switched to evade detection.
Security footage from October was previously cited by investigators searching for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard. 7, the day Melodee was seen wearing a wig in what appeared to be an attempt to hide her appearance, revealed that mother Ashlee Buzzard had rented a white Chevrolet Malibu for the three-day road trip. Authorities stated that the mother has a history of wearing wigs.
According to a Monday update from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the car was spotted the next day with a New York state license plate, presumably to make it harder to track.
The office stated that neither Ashlee nor the car’s New York license plate belonged to either of them. In order to evade detection, investigators think it was used as a fake or switched plate. The assigned California plate was still on the car when it was returned to the rental company in Lompoc, California. “.”.
October was Melodee’s last sighting. The sheriff’s office reported that she was spotted on security footage close to the Colorado-Utah border at 9 on the return portion of the trip. According to the office, the two also visited Kansas on the way back.
Buzzard was reportedly spotted on her way back to her Lompoc residence in October, according to the sheriff’s office. 10 in the Chevy Malibu — Melodee is not there.
Buzzard was not reached on Monday.
Investigators are interested in learning more about the two’s whereabouts on the road trip’s return leg. The Malibu most likely passed through the following areas on its way back to the Lompoc area, according to the sheriff’s office: Rancho Cucamonga, California; Primm, Nevada; northwest Arizona; Green River, Utah; and Panguitch, Utah.
According to a statement, “investigators are working with law enforcement agencies in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Southern California for assistance in reaching the members of their communities and are working to fill gaps in the timeline for that date.”.
In October, the search for Melodee started. 14, when her prolonged absence was reported by an administrator in the Lompoc Unified School District.
The office reported that its deputies and FBI agents working on the investigation conducted at least the second law enforcement search at the mother and daughter’s residence on Thursday. Buzzard was led away by deputies because, according to the office, they had to make sure there was no interference and had planned a lengthy and comprehensive search that had been authorized by a judge.
“A search of the residence confirmed that Melodee was not there. The sheriff’s office reported on Monday that Ashlee has not provided confirmation of Melodee’s whereabouts or well-being.
The Malibu rental car and Buzzard’s storage locker were also searched by investigators, according to the office.
Melodee’s height is 4 feet 6 inches, her weight is 60 pounds, and she has brown eyes and curly brown hair. Anyone with possible contact to the girl or her mother in October is being asked by investigators. 9 or October. 10. Get in touch with the sheriff’s office.
