A felony charge of false imprisonment was filed Monday against a Vandenberg Village mother whose daughter is missing.
However, the charge against Ashlee Buzzard is unrelated to her missing 9-year-old daughter, Melodee, authorities said.
KSBY spoke with the alleged victim in the case, identified in the criminal complaint as Tyler S. Brewer. He tells us he’s a local paralegal and legal document assistant and knew Buzzard years ago. He says he was at her home last week when Buzzard had a box cutter near her and wouldn’t let him leave.
He says he initially reached out to her to see if he could help find Melodee and was in communication with authorities during his talks with Buzzard. He tells us he’s now very worried about Melodee and when asked about his recent interactions with the girl's mother, he said, “The whole thing was so bizarre."
He emphasized that his intention remains to help find the missing girl.
WATCH: Mother of missing girl Melodee Buzzard arrested on unrelated charges
Santa Maria-based attorney Michael B. Clayton says false imprisonment can carry a three-year sentence. The Santa Barbara County Jail confirmed with KSBY on Monday that Buzzard has a 1275 hold on her bail.
Clayton, who is not involved in Buzzard’s case, says that means she cannot post bail and be released until she can prove where the money for the bail came from. It’s a safeguard Clayton says is usually used in higher-risk investigations.
“A 1275 hold is where you have to prove the source of the funds, so if you pony up $100,000, they’re going to want to know where the funds come from,” Clayton said.
Investigators say Melodee has not been seen since Oct. 9, five days before she was reported missing after a school administrator reported her prolonged absence.
Authorities say surveillance images from around that time show the mother and daughter traveling together across multiple states before Ashlee returned alone and has been uncooperative with authorities and provided no information as to where her daughter may be.
Former FBI agent Tom Parker shared insight about Buzzard’s recent arrest. “One reason is to get… the suspect into custody, make it easier for interviewing them and keeping track of them,” he said. “It’s also a method of putting pressure on them to get from them all the information they might have about what happened, whether they were involved or not.”
Parker spent 24 years in the FBI overseeing major criminal investigations in the Los Angeles division. “It’s not unusual in major investigations when you have a suspect and you discover other criminal activity that they’ve been involved in. It’s not unusual at all to make an arrest because it does give you control of that aspect of the investigation,” Parker said.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office says Melodee is still considered an at-risk missing child. Her mother is set to appear in court Wednesday morning to be arraigned on the latest charges against her.
Bail has been set at $100,000. Jail records show Buzzard remained in custody as of Monday evening.
Brewer released the following statement Monday evening in an effort "to ensure accuracy and to protect the integrity of the case," following "widespread public speculation" surrounding Melodee's disappearance and the active investigation.
When Melodee was reported missing, I contacted Ashlee Buzzard solely to offer assistance in locating a missing child. I am a legal document assistant, process server, mandated reporter, and perceived officer of the court. In that capacity, I immediately reported all concerning communication and inconsistencies directly to law enforcement.
On November 6th, during an interaction at her residence, the situation escalated. Ms. Buzzard became visibly distressed after sharing information she appeared to regret disclosing. A box cutter was produced, and despite multiple requests to be allowed to exit the home, I was not immediately permitted to leave. The door was secured by several locks, which delayed my ability to exit. This incident was reported to law enforcement.
I am also in communication with Melodee’s father’s family, who share the same objective — locating her and ensuring her safety.
I will not provide further details at this time, as this remains an active investigation and search effort.
My position has never changed:
Find Melodee. Protect the investigation. Bring her home safely.
