Car missing California girl Melodee Buzzard was traveling in had plates swapped

close Video

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The rental car that a missing 9-year-old California girl was last seen traveling in with her mother had its license plates swapped during a road trip "to avoid detection," police revealed.

The whereabouts of Melodee Buzzard, of Lompoc, California, remained unknown Tuesday. She was "last seen along the return route via video surveillance on October 9, 2025, in the region between the Colorado–Utah border," according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. It added that her 35-year-old mother, Ashlee Buzzard, "has remained uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s location or welfare."

"Through their investigation, detectives have confirmed that Ashlee left California with Melodee in a white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu, i