Charge against Melodee Buzzard’s mom dismissed, ankle monitor removed as FBI hunts for missing 9-year-old

A California parent erstwhile accused of utilizing a container cutter to unlawfully imprison a antheral saw her felony complaint dismissed Thursday arsenic investigators hunt for her missing 9-year-old daughter, Melodee Buzzard.

Ashlee Buzzard appeared successful a Santa Barbara County courtroom facing a felony false-imprisonment complaint stemming from an alleged Nov. 6 incident. Prosecutors called Tyler Stuart Brewer, who accused Buzzard of locking him wrong her Lompoc location during a volatile argument, astatine a preliminary hearing.

According to a felony ailment filed Nov. 10 successful Santa Barbara County Superior Court, prosecutors accused Buzzard of "unlawfully violating the idiosyncratic liberty" of Brewer "by violence, menace, fraud and deceit." 

The filing cited an aggravating origin alleging that the enactment was carried retired "with planning, sophistication, oregon professionalism."

MISSING ‘AT-RISK’ GIRL MELODEE BUZZARD’S MOM APPEARS IN COURT AFTER ALLEGED BOX-CUTTER STANDOFF

Video grounds plays for the justice showing a transcript that reads, "I’m not threatening you, but I’m saying, similar I’m not threatening you astatine all," during grounds Thursday. (Bryan M. Allman/Fox News)

Brewer, a ineligible papers adjunct and freelance paralegal, testified that helium met Buzzard done a communal acquaintance years earlier and reconnected this autumn aft learning her girl was missing. He said helium visited Buzzard’s location 5 times betwixt Nov. 1 and 6, exchanging hundreds of substance messages.

On Nov. 6, Brewer said Buzzard locked aggregate deadbolts aft helium entered and appeared "agitated and tense." He testified that she sat crossed from him with a container cutter disposable connected a adjacent tray. When helium said helium was uncomfortable and wanted to leave, helium claimed she blocked the doorway and relocked the beforehand door, utilizing an added locking instrumentality betwixt the doorway and frame. Prosecutors entered photos of the locks and brace into evidence.

The prosecution besides played a six-minute clip from a one-hour, sixteen-minute signaling that Buzzard had made of their conversation. In it, Buzzard accused Brewer of lying and of seeking media attention, portion Brewer could beryllium heard asking to permission twice. Brewer said helium felt "threatened and uncomfortable," describing Buzzard arsenic clenching her fists and gritting her teeth.

After Brewer’s testimony, Det. Thomas Brownlee with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office took the stand. The tribunal past dismissed the felony complaint for insufficient grounds and ended Buzzard’s pretrial supervision, according to the prosecution. She is besides nary longer required to deterioration an ankle monitor.

MELODEE BUZZARD’S MOM PLOTTED TO ‘CUT OFF’ MISSING 9-YEAR-OLD FROM ‘ENTIRE WORLD,’ GRANDMA SAYS

Ashlee Buzzard sits with her lawyer astatine the defence array during grounds successful tribunal connected Thursday. (Bryan M. Allman/Fox News)

Outside the courtroom, Melodee’s grandmother, Lisa (Lilly) Denes, was expected to code reporters. Denes has been outspoken since her granddaughter vanished, telling Fox News Digital antecedently that she noticed a chilling signifier of power successful the months earlier Melodee disappeared.

Denes said Buzzard had "plotted to chopped her girl disconnected from the full world," limiting interaction with household and isolating the kid from friends and school. Denes told Fox News Digital that she had repeatedly begged for payment checks and feared Buzzard was "running from everyone who could support Melodee."

MELODEE BUZZARD'S MOTHER ARRESTED ON CHARGE UNRELATED TO HER DAUGHTER'S DISAPPEARANCE

Ashlee Buzzard listens beside her lawyer during tribunal proceedings connected Thursday arsenic grounds is presented to the judge. (Bryan M. Allman/Fox News)

Officials began investigating Melodee’s disappearance connected Oct. 14, aft a schoolhouse authoritative reported her prolonged absence. When questioned, deputies said Buzzard failed to supply a verifiable mentation for her daughter’s determination and has "remained uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s welfare."

Authorities accidental Melodee disappeared sometime successful aboriginal October during a roadworthy travel with her mother. Surveillance video released by the sheriff’s bureau shows Buzzard and Melodee astatine a Lompoc rental-car antagonistic connected October 7, some wearing wigs. 

Authorities judge the disguise was intended to debar designation portion traveling and that the vehicle’s licence sheet was swapped during the trip, which stretched crossed respective states.

MELODEE BUZZARD’S MOM RELEASED AFTER ALLEGEDLY IMPRISONING OFFICER, REVEALING MISSING DAUGHTER’S LOCATION

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office released a surveillance image, left, of Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard that is says was captured astatine a rental car determination successful Lompoc California astatine the commencement of the roadworthy travel connected Oct. 7, 2025. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office/FBI)

Melodee was past seen adjacent the Utah–Colorado border, and her parent aboriginal returned to California without her. The FBI has joined the search, moving with Santa Barbara County investigators to retrace the way and way immoderate sightings of the missing child.

Private researcher Bill Garcia, who is moving with Criminally Obsessed, told ARC Salt Lake that caller accusation places Melodee backmost successful Ventura County, California, adjacent her home, according to KUTV. However, determination person been nary confirmed sightings of her successful the area, and her information remains unknown.

Garcia noted that the way Buzzard traveled passes a important landmark, Melodee’s father’s gravesite astatine the Santa Maria Cemetery, which investigators accidental could assistance constrictive down the timeline of their movements.

Officials accent that Thursday’s dismissed lawsuit is not connected to Melodee’s disappearance. Anyone with accusation astir the girl’s whereabouts is urged to interaction the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office oregon the FBI extremity line.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached retired to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and Buzzard's lawyer for comment. 

Fox News' Jamie Vera and Adam Sabes contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].