Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Ashlee Buzzard Arrested Amid Ongoing Search for Missing Daughter Melodee | Crime Alert 6AM 11.09.25

Episode Date: November 10, 2025

The mother of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who has been missing since early October, was arrested Friday by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies, but officials said the arrest was unrelated to her daughter’s disappearance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace, breaking crime news now. Straight out to Nicole Parton for the latest. Authorities in California have arrested the mother of a missing nine-year-old girl, Melody Buzzard, who was last seen in early October. The arrest, however, is not directly related to the child's disappearance. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 40-year-old Ashley Buzzard was taken into custody Friday on a felony charge of false imprisonment. A witness captured video of law enforcement leading Buzzard away from a residence.

According to investigators, she allegedly prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will. While officials say this incident is unrelated to her daughter's disappearance, they're withholding further details to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Melody Buzzard was last seen on a surveillance video during a road trip with her mother. Authorities believe the pair traveled as far as Nebraska, In a troubling twist, the rental car they were using reportedly had its license plate swapped an apparent attempt to avoid detection. The indications are that the license plate was switched to avoid detection.

We don't have any other plausible reason for why Ashley would have switched the plates. Ashley Buzzard is currently being held at the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Barbara County with a bail set at $100,000. Despite the arrest, the sheriff's office emphasized that. that their primary focus remains on locating Melody and ensuring her safety. The child is considered at risk, and the FBI's Los Angeles field office is now assisting in the search. On Thursday, investigators released new video footage showing Ashley and Melody at a car rental location on October 7th. Both were seen wearing wigs, and officials believe Ashley changed her appearance multiple times during the trip, possibly to avoid recognition.

The investigation began on October 14th when a school administrator reported Melody's extended absence. Deputies responded to the family's home where Ashley was present, but her daughter was not, and no credible explanation for her whereabouts was provided. Melody Buzzard is described as approximately 4-6, weighing 60 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. If you have any information, that could help locate Melody, please contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office or your local authorities immediately. Nancy, police say the investigation remains active and ongoing. Nicole, thank you.

More crime and justice news after this. At least four people have died, and 11 others sustained serious injuries after a vehicle struck pedestrians in Florida. This tragic event occurred when a car crashed into a business in a neighborhood in Tampa, impacting more than a dozen people who were out. outside, according to a news release from the Tampa Police Department.

The TPD reported that around 1240 a.m., their air service was tracking a vehicle that was driving erratically on I-275. The driver continued to speed recklessly exiting the interstate at Doyle-Carlton Drive. Authority stated that the driver eventually lost control of the vehicle colliding with the storefront and hitting several pedestrians in the process. Prior to this incident, the same vehicle had been observed participating in street racing in a nearby location, police noted. In total, 15 people were affected by the incident. Three victims died at the scene, while a fourth died due to their injuries at the hospital. One victim remains in critical condition and eight others are still in the hospital.

Additionally, two individuals suffered minor injuries related to the crass, according to the TPD. The suspected driver has been identified as 22-year-old Silas Sampson, who was arrested at the scene. The investigation into the crash is now being led by the Florida Highway Patrol, as stated by the TPD. TPD chief Lee Burkaw referred to the event as a senseless tragedy, expressing condolences to the victims and their families. Elsa Maria Ferreira, a mom of three, takes her family's laundry to a Houston laundromat. She's caught on video leaving in her black 2016 Nissan but never makes it home. Days later, her children discover her car had been towed from an apartment complex across town. They say the mom had no connection to those apartments.

The laundry found folded neatly in a basket in the back seat. The rest of Maria Ferreira's belongings gone. If you have info about Elisa Maria Ferreira, please call Houston PD. 832-394-1840. For the latest, Crime and Justice News, go to crimeonline.com, and please join us for our daily podcast,

crime stories, where we do our best to find missing people, especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an I-Heart podcast.