Mom of missing Santa Barbara County girl switched license plates during road trip, officials say
Detectives believe they drove through Rancho Cucamonga on or around October 9.
The mother of a missing 9-year-old Santa Barbara County girl allegedly switched license plates during their road trip that took them through Southern California in an apparent effort to avoid detection, authorities said.
Investigators are working to narrow in on the timeline in which Melodee Buzzard went missing.
On Oct. 7, Melodee and her mom, Ashlee Buzzard, left on a three-day road trip from Lompoc to the Nebraska area, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said. Surveillance images show the 9-year-old -- in what appears to be a wig -- at a Santa Barbara-area rental car business on Oct. 7, authorities said.
The last verified sighting of Melodee is now determined to be Oct. 9, sheriff's spokesperson Raquel Zick told ABC News on Monday.
Surveillance video shows Melodee with her mom that day near the Colorado-Utah border, Zick said. The next day, on Oct. 10, Ashlee Buzzard came home to Lompoc with the white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu she rented on Oct. 7 -- but Melodee was not with her, the sheriff's office said.
Zick said investigators are now focused on the timeline from Oct. 9 to Oct. 10.
Authorities said they believe Ashlee Buzzard drove through Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga.
During the road trip, Ashlee Buzzard allegedly removed the Malibu's California license plate, number 9MNG101, Zick said. On Oct. 8, the Malibu had New York license plate number HCG9677. It's not clear when that plate was put on or if other plates were added at other times, according to the sheriff's office.
The original California plate was back on the car when Ashlee Buzzard returned it to the rental agency in California, Zick said.
It appears "the license plate was switched to avoid detection ... don't have any other plausible reason," Zick said.
Ashlee Buzzard has not cooperated with the investigation, authorities said.
Melodee is still considered a missing person, Zick said. No arrests have been made.
ABC News contributed to this report.
