The mother of a missing 9-year-old girl from Vandenberg Village made her second court appearance Wednesday in connection with the false imprisonment case against her.
Authorities say the felony charge is unrelated to the disappearance of Buzzard’s daughter, Melodee, and was filed in connection with a Nov. 6 incident that allegedly took place at her Mars Avenue home.
Investigators have been searching for the girl since Oct. 14, when school officials reported Melodee’s prolonged absence.
Buzzard has been uncooperative with the investigation, authorities say, adding that the mother has not provided information regarding her daughter's whereabouts.
Wednesday morning’s court appearance was quick, lasting less than one minute.
Dressed in a black top, sweater, pants, and wearing the long, curly wig she was wearing at the time of her arrest, Buzzard was escorted into the Lompoc courtroom alongside her public defender.
Both sides confirmed to the judge that they’re ready to move forward with a preliminary hearing on Thursday morning.
That hearing is an opportunity for the defense and prosecution to present evidence before the judge and call witnesses. The judge will then make a ruling on whether he feels there is enough evidence to proceed with the felony charge against Buzzard and move her case forward to trial.
Buzzard spent five days behind bars following her arrest before the judge ordered she be released with GPS monitoring.
WATCH: Melodee's grandmothers react after Buzzard's first court appearance
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, which is being assisted by the FBI in the case involving Melodee’s disappearance, says there are no new updates in that investigation as of now.
Investigators say Melodee has not been seen since Oct. 9. Authorities say surveillance images from around that time show the mother and daughter traveling together across multiple states before Buzzard returned home alone.
KSBY News community reporter Crystal Bermudez will have more on Wednesday’s hearing on KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. and will be back in the courtroom for Thursday’s preliminary hearing.
