Concern is growing in Vandenberg Village following the disappearance of a 9-year-old girl.
Authorities say they’ve spoken with Melodee Buzzard’s mother, Ashlee, but that she hasn't provided information as to where her daughter may be.
“As a mother, my mom heart absolutely cannot take this. I felt really inclined to step in,” said Janet Holmes, who lives near the 500 block of Mars Avenue, where authorities say the girl lives.
Late Thursday morning, Homes was headed to the home in an effort to speak with the girl's mother, Ashlee Buzzard.
“Maybe to be helpful, to suggest maybe we put out fliers,” Holmes said, but no one answered the door.
About 30 minutes later, a woman appearing to be Ashlee returned home, quickly walking from her car to the front of the home. She did not speak with KSBY before going inside and shutting the door.
Community Reporter Crystal Bermudez knocked on the door, but no one answered.
Later in the afternoon, the woman was seen loading things into her car and then driving off. When she returned to the home again, the back door of her small SUV had a large yellow scrape and the door was dented. She again declined to speak with KSBY.
Next door, Kasey Monreal says her mother thought she saw the young girl fairly recently, but her home security footage told a different story.
“She thought that when she first said, 'Oh, I think I saw her just recently',” Monreal said, when referencing a conversation with her mother. She said, looking back, it had been longer since the girl was seen on the surveillance footage.
Kasey says CPS and authorities have been at the home for the past few days, with investigators collecting surveillance footage from neighbors in the area.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office confirms the last verified contact with Melodee, so far, was about a year ago.
“Our investigation into the, this at-risk missing juvenile, Melodee, began on Tuesday, Oct. 14, when deputies were notified by a school administrator that they hadn't seen or heard from a student in approximately a year,” said sheriff’s PIO Raquel Zick.
A notice sent out by the Lompoc Unified School District on Thursday confirmed Melodee "was most recently enrolled at Buena Vista Elementary School." The district reports staff became concerned after the girl had not been seen at school recently and “were concerned for her well-being.”
"She last attended a home schooling program approximately one year ago," Zick told KSBY.
The district says it’s partnering with law enforcement and asking for the school community’s help. Counseling and support for any students needing it are available.
As for the girl’s relatives, they say they have been cut off from Melodee for years. Melodee's aunt on her father's side says they found out about Melodee’s disappearance through Facebook.
“We haven't seen her in over four years due to the mother not allowing the family to see her,” said Lizabeth Meza, Melodee’s aunt. She describes her niece as being sweet and kind.
“She has a beautiful smile. She's very, very loving, very welcoming. She loved to be around her family,” Meza said, adding that Melodee's father died in a crash when she was just 6-months-old.
Other neighbors tell KSBY that Ashlee kept to herself. Holmes says she walks in the neighborhood often but never saw the girl. Another neighbor says he hasn’t seen Melodee in at least a year.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen Melodee or had any type of contact with her in the past year to contact the sheriff’s office at (805) 681-4150. Anonymous tips can be made by calling (805) 681-4171 or online at SBSheriff.org
